The rise of the ‘hatecrasher’
September 9, 2012 at 2:32 am | Posted in Security | 5 CommentsTags: bottle, crowd control, gang, gatecrasher, knife, Naomi Oakley, neighbour, nightmare, parent, party, police, private school, safe parties, security, teen, teenage, teenager, U-NOME Security, venue, violence, youth
Young. Strong. Spiteful. Vicious. Terrifying.
When it comes to gatecrashers, I’ve seen it all. But now I’m witnessing a new level of violence – fuelled by a blind, searing hatred of everyone and everything.
This disturbing shift is so pronounced, I’m calling these intruders ‘hatecrashers’. This word isn’t in any dictionary. But if we don’t do something now to address this turn for the worse, it’s a word that’ll become all too familiar.
Four on the floor
In the last month, my staff and I handled four 16th birthday parties gatecrashed by thugs eager to injure people and damage property. Had we not controlled these events, both would have happened.
Note that these were ‘dry’ events. Hatecrashers even crash parties where alcohol is not available.
School of (very) hard knocks
When kids go gatecrashing, it’s obvious their parents have no idea where they are. I see the same kids cropping up. And I know they go to some prestigious local schools.
These private schools have huge fees … but for what? I wonder what their families would think of their precious boys as ten of them:
- Smash a gate to splinters.
- Make a huge racket hammering a back fence.
- Wake and terrify elderly neighbours by pounding on their metal garage.
I saw them do all this and more.
There goes the neighbourhood
At another party, my crew worked to secure a smashed back fence while hatecrashers pelted them with bottles, garden stakes, log seats and whatever else they could get their hands on.
In most situations, we don’t know if these streetwise thugs have weapons. While we take every precaution, Police back-up is invariably hard to raise on busy weekends.
Neighbours are suffering and becoming extremely distressed. One rang me to say she was home with three young children and too petrified to move. Another neighbour, also too scared to go outside, messaged me to protest the deafening noise and smashed bottles beyond her bedroom window.
Not a parent in sight
The last party had 140 guests and 25 gatecrashers. Five sneaked in via the back while 20 more hit the front. I’m thankful my experienced staff have the expertise to deal with such unpredictable and volatile situations.
Hatecrashers are not shy, skinny types. Most are two metres tall (or more) and seem to have a ready supply of steroids.
They also have backpacks, hoodies and very likely weapons. They abuse security staff, disrespect parents and destroy all property – inside and out.
When the Police finally arrived at this fracas, they stopped some of these kids and called their parents.
Not one parent picked up the phone.
Not one of these modern-day hoods was charged with anything.
Wrong crowd
I know for a fact that two gatecrasher gangs prowl Melbourne’s leafy eastern suburbs.
Areas like Malvern, Armadale, Kew, Box Hill North, Burwood and Camberwell are beautiful by day. But if you’re having a teen party, brace yourself for hatecrashers.
Many parents think event security means putting the biggest, ugliest adult out the front. Such traits are no match for a gang of super-fit youths with knives.
These days you need adequate planning, plenty of responsible parents and professional party security.
Horror movie
The video above is a compilation of recent gatecrasher activity.
Sadly, I expect to have more footage, very soon.
Yet if we could legislate to control teen events, our children could party safely.
And the destructive morons could be charged with the new offence of ‘Gatecrasher’.
Read my proposal to see what I mean.
Naomi Oakley, Founder, Safe Partying Australia.
Further reading: http://stonnington-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/stonnington-parents-warned-to-plan-ahead-for-safe-teen-parties/
Crash tackle
May 22, 2012 at 1:51 am | Posted in Security | 1 CommentTags: alcohol, crowd control, drinking, event, Fence, fight, gatecrasher, kid, Naomi Oakley, neighbour, parent, party, police, prevention, safe parties, security, teen, teenage, U-NOME Security, venue, violence, youth
Take a seat. In the head!
Moon madness
Last Saturday night kept me and my staff very busy.
I’m not sure what the moon was doing, but every party we handled had issues. Problems that would’ve turned very ugly had security not been present
Ironically, the alcohol-free events were the most difficult. This was because gatecrashers targeted both.
You wouldn’t believe the lengths they went to! Or the stuff they tried. We had kids crawling in through toilet windows little bit bigger than a post box.
The intruders we kept at bay occupied the neighbour’s yard (lovely!) and hurled garden stakes and deck chairs over the back fence.
These missiles just missed my staff member who’d confronted two intruders that had made it over the fence. As soon as they saw her, they quickly jumped back …
… Then came back with more unwanted guests!
It was sheer luck no-one was impaled.
Remote control
The event I attended had 150 21-year-olds in a fairly remote venue.
The responsible service of alcohol by bar staff was spot on, so (for once!) booze wasn’t a problem.
Our drama came from a different quarter: the frustration of waiting for a taxi.
We knew taxis would be a worry this far out of town, so we tried to call them early. But with little success.
As 30 irritated teens milled waiting in the car park and surrounding dark, the tension was evident and growing.
Though I’d assigned a staff member to observe this area, I thought it best to ring local police for a bit of presence.
While on the phone, I was told a brawl had started. I left a staff member in the venue and ran to where my other colleague was busy separating three angry (and far from little) boys.
We bundled them into waiting transport. Fortunately the police arrived soon after to help control the crowd.
We’re not always this lucky.
Far out
When choosing your party venue, find out if transport will be an issue. Remote sites are great for reducing gatecrashers. But if you go too far out, you’ll have problems moving on the guests you did invite.
Parents must also realise they can’t run a party alone. When they plan one, they need to include responsible assisting parents in the mix.
Both the ‘dry’ teen events had inadequate parent supervision and proved the most difficult to manage.
While our security handled all of Saturday’s parties extremely well, there were issues.
One event had a guest list blow out from 90 to 140 at the last minute. The other had teens pre-guzzling and smuggling booze, urinating in baths and vomiting behind couches.
When you plan a party, you need 1 parent for every 20 kids. You also need the final guest list in your hand on the Wednesday prior to avoid nasty surprises.
Be smart, or you might not be as ‘lucky’ as these hosts we pulled back from the brink.
Naomi Oakley, Founder, Safe Partying Australia.
Who pays the mortgage?
April 26, 2012 at 12:32 am | Posted in Security | 1 CommentTags: alcohol, child, crowd control, death, drinking, duty of care, event, fight, injury, kid, legislation, Naomi Oakley, neighbour, parent, party, police, prevention, safe parties, secondary supply, security, teen, teenage, teenager, U-NOME Security, violence, youth
Truth is far worse than fiction.
The things people say!
Here are things parents commonly say before a teen party.
Along with the reality.
‘We know them; they’re all nice boys.’
Then they drink.
‘The kids will be okay in the pool while they drink.’
Then we have two broken noses and a brawl at the end of the night.
‘Our balcony will be fine for this party of 100.’
No it won’t.
‘We’ve had a stern talk to our son and he said they won’t drink much.’
Yes they will.
‘Our son thinks we don’t need security.’
Yes you do.
‘Our daughter doesn’t want the drinks managed.’
When we find two half-naked girls passed out behind the property, we call an ambulance.
‘They’re a quiet bunch.’
No they’re not.
‘They’ve promised to keep the guest list to 100.’
150 patrons later, two guests have been hit, security staff have been injured, the police are outnumbered and we need back up. Fast.
‘Do we really need to cloak bags?’
Once we start finding hidden drugs and booze, they get the picture.
Take out
This message is about keeping our teens alive.
Parents, having a party isn’t just about you and your child.
It’s about:
- Duty of care to guests.
- Responsible alcohol serving and management.
- Keeping parties safe for any staff attending.
- Looking after your neighbours.
- Ensuring kids leave your home (and get to theirs) safely.
If you don’t want to do this right or you can’t make the tough decisions to make it happen,
DON’T HAVE A PARTY!
Or the next teen death may be on you.
Parents must be made accountable.
We need legislative change.
Naomi Oakley, Founder, Safe Partying Australia.
What price peace?
October 13, 2011 at 1:02 am | Posted in Security | Leave a commentTags: alcohol, crowd control, drinking, duty of care, event, gang, kid, legislation, Naomi Oakley, neighbour, police, prevention, safe parties, security, teen, teenage, teenager, U-NOME Security, venue, youth
Hundreds of bucks on grog, but not a cent for security!
Another party went feral last week. This time in the well-heeled Melbourne suburb of Kew.
The host parent had called me earlier, but baulked at my $500 quote for full event security.
When I sent one of my staff to watch the night go off the rails, he saw plenty more than $500 worth of booze in play.
This sure makes me wonder about people’s priorities.
So easily avoided
Here’s part of what the host parent wrote to me when declining my services:
‘I have taken on board what you advised and enlisted at least 10 parents help, mainly fathers. So I’m sending up a prayer and hoping for the best this time.’
I replied:
‘Hopefully your neighbours and the Police will understand when it impacts them. Parents are not covered by any sort of insurance if you have a problem with gatecrashers or intoxication. I suggest you will have problems in both these areas.’
‘Hopes and prayers’ indeed!
As it turned out, ‘security’ on the night was a young woman and her boyfriend drinking wine as they checked names off at the door!
By 9 pm, exactly as I predicted, the place was riddled with gatecrashers – hanging round in hostile groups and jumping fences to get in.
Three police call-outs and one drunk, unconscious boy later, I wonder if the parent regretted her decision not to heed my warnings.
$500 could have prevented all this drama and danger.
I ask you: how much is peace of mind (and perhaps a young life) worth?!
Bearing witness
I occasionally send my staff to observe the public impact of parties I consider at risk for failing to take my safety and duty-of-care advice.
The evidence we collect is used to support our push for safe event laws.
The Kew party is now just another statistic.
The sadder fact is, I know it’s only a matter of time until we witness another party-related injury.
Or death.
Naomi Oakley, Founder, Safe Partying Australia.
Your taxes at work
September 19, 2011 at 4:18 am | Posted in Security | Leave a commentTags: alcohol, car, child, crowd control, drinking, duty of care, event, kid, legislation, Naomi Oakley, neighbour, nightmare, parent, party, police, safe parties, secondary supply, security, teen, teenage, teenager, U-NOME Security, venue, youth
This latest party fiasco cost us $5K. Are you having fun yet?
Even when I warned him his party would spiral out of control, a Wheelers Hill kid ignored my advice and held a party last weekend.
As I predicted, it turned ugly. And the emergency services response cost tax payers (you and me) a small fortune.
Words of warning
The boy rang me last Thursday to say he needed security at a basketball party.
I asked a few questions and he said:
- There’d be 150 kids aged 16-18.
- They’d be free to bring alcohol.
- There’d be only one parent present.
I advised him that:
- He’d need four professional staff to keep control.
- He’d also need at least six parents to assist.
- Alcohol would have to be controlled at a central point.
- If he didn’t follow my recommendations, his night would be a nightmare.
The boy seemed surprised.
And didn’t call back.
Storm clouds
I knew this event would go pear-shaped. I informed Glen Waverley Police so they’d at least have some detail on the party when they inevitably responded. Cops HATE flying blind.
Despite giving them this heads up, I still couldn’t relax on the day.
Instead of spending a pleasant Saturday night at home with my family, I felt compelled to observe how this party would unravel.
Fortunately, I was supported by one of my staff who’s similarly ardent about safe teen parties.
We arrived at the boy’s home at 9 pm and were seriously shocked.
The entire property was teeming with teens: at least 170 in the house plus another 100 milling around out the front.
A neighbour was screaming as kids jumped his fence.
Every few minutes, maxi cabs disgorged more kids, while larger groups arrived from the bus stop.
All were carrying beer slabs, massive wine casks and/or bags of pre-mixed drinks.
I thought of their parents. Had ANY asked what sort of party their offspring were attending, or whether there’d be any responsible adults around?
Hell’s teeth
Amid the chaos, I saw only one security person on the front gate. I couldn’t tell if they were professional (trained, safe, insured) or amateur (volatile, dangerous, not liable).
With the frantic neighbour now on the phone, I figured the Police would arrive any minute.
When the first van arrived, the scene was daunting indeed for the two members inside.
Utterly outnumbered, they cautiously emerged clutching their flasks of capsicum spray.
Fearing for them, I let them know my colleague and I were around.
The sole parent was out the front – bawling at the cops to get everyone out.
While they liaised with him, the kids streamed over the road, taking photos next to the Police car as if it were a trophy!
After a very long ten minutes, much-needed back up arrived:
- 6 more Police vans.
- 2 Dog Squad units.
- 1 large brawler van.
It took all this to stop the music and shut the nightmare down.
How there wasn’t a death or serious injury is beyond my comprehension.
Now hear this
Parents MUST get this message before more kids (maybe theirs) die:
There are NO EXCUSES.
You can’t PLEAD IGNORANCE any more.
Do NOT let your child plan a party.
YOU do it.
YOU take responsibility.
The sooner we have teen event legislation, the better.
And don’t think the new minors and alcohol legislation that comes into effect in Feb will save us. It won’t.
Because it doesn’t cover BYO events like this.
Parent’s MUST be made accountable.
It’s YOUR money, Ralph!
At a very conservative estimate, the Police response to this event cost $5000.
Worse, these precious resources were diverted from serious, legitimate crime prevention at the busiest time of the week.
All neighbouring suburbs were stripped of their ability to respond.
Tough luck if YOU needed a divvy van to catch that burglar you heard on Saturday!
You and I are paying for this shameful waste with our taxes.
We’re paying more and getting less.
So, if you can’t do the right thing your kids,
at least do it for yourself!
PS. I got some excellent video footage of this debacle, if you’re interested.
Naomi Oakley, Founder, Safe Partying Australia.
Violence ain’t ‘senseless’
August 29, 2011 at 5:40 am | Posted in Security | Leave a commentTags: accident, alcohol, child, crowd control, death, drinking, duty of care, event, injury, kid, legislation, Naomi Oakley, neighbour, Party Plan Checklist, police, safe parties, secondary supply, security, teen, teenager, U-NOME Security, venue, violence, youth
When it comes to teen party violence, parents are the real clowns.
We hear a lot about ‘senseless violence’.
But when kids get injured at parties, it’s not the violence that’s senseless.
It’s the parents.
With prior planning, parties needn’t suffer any violence.
To me, ‘senseless’ is someone stabbing you in the street.
Car accidents aren’t senseless. Most are due to speed, alcohol, fatigue or other driver error.
The following situations recently came to my attention. All have been called ‘senseless’, when really they’re not.
Birthday bash
An 18-year-old’s parents didn’t want to control alcohol at his birthday party.
They wanted the kids to ‘have fun’.
So they confined their attentions to the front of their home.
Meanwhile, out of sight in a back bedroom, their dear son had sex with a minor.
This boy faces a life-ruining conviction and placement on the sex offender register.
All because his parents didn’t want to set boundaries.
What FUN!
Making sense
A grieving mother, whose son was fatally stabbed outside a party, has asked a judge to send a hard message about the deadly consequences of ‘senseless violence’.
I’m told alcohol wasn’t restricted at this event. Had an alcohol plan been in place, this situation may well have ended differently.
A life could have been saved and a boy prevented from going to jail.
I believe most parents who read this article will think the teen stupid for drinking so much. But what about the parents who let it happen?
This is where the senselessness lies.
Foregone conclusion
Parents near Shepparton held an after-formal party for their kids. Yet again, there was minimal security and no restriction of alcohol. The results?
- Brawls on a neighbour’s property.
- Children and parents terrified in their homes.
- Half a dozen Police units called at 10 pm. They use capsicum spray. Some are injured.
Organisers said, ‘They didn’t know this would happen’. Yet they’d have a very different attitude if there were consequences to their lack of forethought.
Duty of Care is the responsibility of the parents. They must think about consequences of their (lack of) actions.
On the edge
Four teens were hospitalised after a balcony at the party they were attending collapsed.
I believe this tragedy could have been avoided. Again, it was no accident.
Pre-assessments of party venues are necessary to flag physical safety issues.
Most balconies are designed for domestic use only. Our pre-assessment plans forbid parties on balconies and stair wells.
We also cover perimeter fences, pools, alcohol plans and experienced, professional event security. These simple things:
- Prevent most parties from turning ugly.
- Minimise violence in our community.
- Save lives.
- Free our emergency services and judicial system.
If you minimise the risks, you turn things from ‘senseless’ to sensible.
Duty of care
Parents need to show duty of care.
If the new alcohol legislation doesn’t include duty of care and alcohol control, we need to go back to the drawing board and look at my safe event law proposal.
A holistic approach is the best option
Unless we have consequence for parents who don’t exercise duty of care when hosting a party our kids will suffer ever more violence.
A tragic waste of life that’s truly ‘senseless’.
Naomi Oakley, Founder, Safe Partying Australia.
All the Wrong Moves
March 17, 2011 at 5:16 am | Posted in Security | Leave a commentTags: accident, alcohol, crowd control, drinking, drunk, duty of care, event, fight, gang, guest, kid, liability, Naomi Oakley, neighbour, nightmare, parent, party, Party Plan Checklist, police, prevention, private school, safe parties, security, teen, teenage, teenager, U-NOME Security, venue, violence, youth
- There’s a right way and a wrong way.
The wrong way costs MUCH more.
Girl Talk
A young girl rang and asked if I could provide crowd control for an after-formal party for 400 teens in an inner-Melbourne factory area.
She couldn’t believe I was concerned when she told me:
- The school didn’t want to know about it. (No kidding!)
- Only two parents would assist … then leave after just one hour.
- It was BYO alcohol (and everything else) as they couldn’t be bothered sorting this out.
- The average guest age was 16.
- Police hadn’t been notified. (I wonder why?)
Father Knows Best?
Having planned and worked at 600 teen parties, I know how to do pre-party assessments for parents.
These include making the venue safe, preventing unwanted guests and planning for risks, alcohol and transport.
A father decided that, despite my vast experience, he didn’t want any restrictions on his son’s 18th birthday (or his 60 teenage guests).
He ‘knew them all’; they were ‘good kids’. Yet he did ask if my staff would break up any fights.
Not on my watch! I provide a safe environment for my staff and the people they protect.
This is called:
DUTY.
OF.
CARE!
Write it down, before it bites you on the bum.
Begging for Trouble
A young man asked me to provide security for 350 16-year-olds in the western suburbs. Once again, just two parents home, unrestricted alcohol and not a word to the cops.
Recipe for disaster doesn’t begin to cover this.
Out of Her Mind
A mother asked me about security for a teenage party:
- 50 kids? Yep.
- Eastern suburbs? Yep.
- Alcohol? Not restricted.
- Parents? Nup.
WHAT?!
The mother was going overseas that weekend, leaving her teen to party with 50 others in her house. Pity her neighbour! Yet she whinged about a recent party that had deposited underwear and empty booze bottles in her yard!
Are you getting this?!
Crash & Burn
Two distressed mothers enquired about crowd control for their teens’ birthday. Their kids had been at the same party a few weeks ago. This party had parents ‘doing security’ -thinking anyone can perform this demanding and difficult job.
Two hours in, 20 gatecrashers arrived, started a brawl, injured guests and ended the event.
The birthday boy was shattered that he couldn’t celebrate his special day.
The Usual Suspects
All this happened in the last few weeks. The usual common elements are:
Alcohol control. If you don’t restrict grog, guests will fight, vomit or pass out. If not this time, then the next. Your luck will run out.
Police notification. It’s extremely stressful for police to attend an event they know nothing about. Do the right thing and inform them. You may need them more than you could ever imagine.
Duty of care. If you don’t provide a safe environment for guests and neighbours, you could be liable. Think before you plan a party and ensure parents are there to assist.
I’ll cover social media in detail soon. For now, do NOT promote any event on social networking spaces unless you want it to end in anti-social behaviour!
I’m not the party police, but I do know how to ensure everyone has a great time at yours.
Ignore these warnings at your (considerable) peril.
Naomi Oakley, Founder, Safe Partying Australia.
Kids Rule?!
July 29, 2010 at 5:19 am | Posted in Security | 4 CommentsTags: accident, alcohol, birthday, child, crowd control, drinking, event, kid, Naomi Oakley begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting, neighbor, neighbour, parent, Party Plan Checklist, police, pool, prevention, safe parties, security, teen, teenage, teenager, U-NOME Security, venue, youth
Don't let children pull your strings.
I was asked to look after an 18th birthday in an Eastern suburb.
BYO alcohol and 140 guests.
As I always do before assigning staff to an event, I met the parents several days beforehand.
I inspected the property and noted some issues:
- Open pool in the party area.
- Neighbouring properties close by.
- Small backyard (especially given the big numbers).
Then I sat down with the parents to talk alcohol arrangements.
They said they hadn’t decided what they were going to do with the BYO alcohol.
I described the two main issues I continually face:
- Gatecrashers.
- Alcohol-fuelled violence.
I recommended that parents oversee the serving of alcohol, i.e. guests who bring alcohol hand it to parents, who then serve it responsibly.
I warned the parents that their teen would be annoyed at this security/safety measure and he’d probably convince them to let him and his friends drink as much as they wanted.
The parents said they supported my recommendation and confirmed that they were in charge.
The very next day, they sent this message:
‘We trust our child’s judgment and will let him be in charge of alcohol consumption.’
Great!
Up to this point, I had a controlled, safe environment for my staff and the guests.
The parents’ decision turned this into a volatile situation that may have required me to use (already overburdened) emergency services.
So who was in charge? The teen of course!
On the night of the event, I assigned three staff and myself.
The small space, open pool and large number of drinking teens made it very difficult for us to move around.
I was extremely concerned for the safety of the teens and my staff. While this particular party didn’t turn into a disaster, quite a few of the teens were intoxicated and extremely lucky to avoid injury.
On the same night, in a neighbouring suburb, police had to shut down a 15-year-old’s birthday party because of drunk guests.
When police asked the father why he had no security at all, he replied:
‘I thought that was your job.’
Wrong again!
I have plenty of stories like this and it’s frustrating.
I’ve compiled a national list of parties that have turned bad for similar reasons. So far, I have 35 events that have hit the media.
This is the tip of the iceberg – perhaps only 35% of the true figures. Most out-of-control parties don’t get reported to the media.
Parents must learn that they’re in charge of parties. Not their kids.
Otherwise, they’re begging for trouble.
Naomi Oakley, Managing Director, U-NOME Security Communication Specialists.
Naomi Oakley
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