The rise of the ‘hatecrasher’

September 9, 2012 at 2:32 am | Posted in Security | 5 Comments
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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/

Teen dreaming

February 29, 2012 at 9:42 pm | Posted in Security | Leave a comment
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Don't turn your child's party into a nightmare.

I’m concerned at the growing number of licensed venues being used for teen parties. They raise issues parents need to know.

Venues see teen events as easy money, but rarely convey the legal implications to parents.

Two weeks ago, another gatecrasher horror story hit the media.

A venue is liable for the event it hosts. It risks massive penalties for breaching liquor laws.

I recently handled a 16th birthday at a tennis club. There were huge problems with 16 and 17 year olds accessing alcohol via friends.

Had Police or Commission for Gambling & Liquor Regulation (VCGLR) Compliance Inspectors turned up, the party would’ve instantly been shut down.

A disaster for the birthday girl.

These authorities often go undercover to do random venue checks. So you never know when they’re going to pop up.

Bum steer

I spoke with Police about my tennis club drama.

They said it wasn’t something I should worry about, as it related to the venue.

This didn’t sound right to me.

If I’m asked to send my staff to control a teen event, I research the venue ahead of time for my client to see if it’s suitable and safe.

So I called VCGLR and found that my suspicions were correct.

Tangled web

Most licensed venues wishing to host teen parties require a specific limited licence to do so.

If a tennis or bowling club has a club licence, only a member of the club (or their relative) can host a party. On the day, every person attending must be signed in by the member.

You also need a ratio of one responsible adult for every ten underage teens to ensure they don’t drink.

Football clubs have a different type of licence that permits underage kids at the venue until a set time (e.g. 11 pm) after which they must leave. This applies to awards nights and parties.

If a licensed cafe hosts your party, the above ratio of adults to teens applies. Parents MUST supervise all guests and ensure no underage alcohol consumption occurs.

Better safe than sorry

As you can see, it’s complicated.

In short, if you want to host a teen party at a sporting club, cafe or anywhere else with a liquor licence, you should contact VCGLR (or the relevant liquor licensing commission in your state) for accurate information.

While you’re at it, get them to email the info in writing, so you have all the details of your enquiry. You may need it.

The best way to avoid this tangled web is to use venues that don’t have a liquor licence.

Unfortunately, with teen parties, this leaves only private homes and limited public venues like halls.

If you’re a parent seeking a practical way to handle alcohol at teen parties, drop me a line and I’ll send you information about our ‘booze bag’.

It’s a proven method that can be used anywhere kids bring booze.

Naomi Oakley, Founder, Safe Partying Australia.

Off the rails

February 19, 2012 at 3:07 am | Posted in Security | 4 Comments
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Journey into hell.

I don’t usually post on Sundays, but a terrifying incident last night compels me to issue a dire warning. If you’re a teen, or have a teen child, please read on.

I was working at an 18th birthday party in Melbourne’s east. At 9 pm, two 16-year-old girls arrived.

I noticed that one girl was a little agitated and erratic, but she didn’t appear to be affected by anything.

I kept my eye on her for half an hour and saw her start to become unsteady on her feet.

I approached her, but couldn’t smell alcohol, so I asked her if she’d drunk anything before arriving.

She said that someone had given her something on a tram. She was hard to understand; her sentences were muddled and her words slurred.

I alerted the host parents and continued to question the girl, as I was concerned about what else had happened on the tram.

She told me she’d caught the tram on her own and was approached by a group of dark-skinned males.

One grabbed her round the neck and the group threatened to harm her unless she drank a clear, vile-tasting liquid which, under duress, she did.

On telling her story to me, the girl started to cry. I sat her in the lounge and got her drinking water.

I then spoke further with the host parents, who rang the girl’s mother and asked her to collect her.

A few minutes later, someone screamed, ‘She’s fallen on the floor!’

I ran to the lounge and found the girl muttering incoherently. Her breathing was laboured and she started convulsing.

The host mother called an ambulance, to which she relayed vital signs.

Meanwhile I and others tried to keep the girl on her side. By now she was scared and hysterical.

Her eyes rolled back and she began lapsing in and out of consciousness.

The ambulance arrived, along with the girl’s distraught mother. She was taken to Box Hill hospital.

On arrival, the girl’s blood alcohol content was found to be 0.25 – five times the limit for driving a vehicle and devastating for a young girl’s health and welfare.

Today she’s still on a drip and Police are investigating.

I’ve since found that up to ten thugs were involved in this terrifying incident.

Though the girl had met friends at her destination, the damage was done during her solo tram trip.

Had she not made it to the stop, things could have been even worse.

The lessons here are clear:

  • Young people should not catch public transport alone. Especially at night.
  • Parents should make alternative travel arrangements. Or drive them personally.
  • They should also monitor their child’s progress to ensure they travel safely to and from a venue.

It’s getting very nasty out there.

Don’t let this happen to you or your loved ones.

Naomi Oakley, Founder, Safe Partying Australia.

Your taxes at work

September 19, 2011 at 4:18 am | Posted in Security | Leave a comment
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cost of out-of-control teen parties

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.

All the Wrong Moves

March 17, 2011 at 5:16 am | Posted in Security | Leave a comment
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safe teen parties security crowd control
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.

Nightmare Neighbour (or Landlord Beware!)

August 29, 2010 at 5:24 am | Posted in Security | Leave a comment
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Even the best-laid party plans can be upset by uncaring others.

Last night my team and I were scheduled to look after a party in a wealthy suburb.

The event had been extremely well planned and my client had wisely followed all my prior advice.

Then, around midday, I heard a disturbing rumour.

It seemed a 17-year-old local boy had planned a party in the rental property he shared with his mother.

On investigation, I found he’d promoted the party on Facebook – receiving more than 200 acceptances.

No security. No alcohol restriction. And a mother oblivious to what was about to happen.

Worse, this boy’s party was just down the road from my client’s event – which was due to start in eight hours!

Suddenly, my client’s well-planned party was threatened by an external problem that was beyond my control.

I knew that if I didn’t increase my crew to six and retain them for longer at my client’s venue, gatecrashers from the Facebook party could threaten it if dispersed by police or other factors.

My poor client had the twin hassles of increased costs plus a sense of unease about the actions of their careless, selfish neighbour.

Not surprisingly, police had to shut the Facebook party down. This sent kids spilling out of the house.

Sure enough, a wave of disgruntled teens soon crashed against our defences.

I heard that the rental house had been trashed, as the boy and his mother were moving out!

Fortunately, due to our increased security measures (and my client’s trust in my assessment and recommendation) we stopped and dispersed this surly mob.

Who they went on to hassle next is anyone’s guess. Though I do know police had to waste time patrolling a human mess that should never have happened.

Once again, the party permit system I’ve long been advocating would deter or punish thoughtless neighbours (and save emergency services the time and expense of cleaning up after them).

Last night’s debacle also has me wondering if landlords think about social-media-fuelled parties when renting their properties.

Perhaps they may like to read my proposal and add some of my recommendations to their next lease.

Councils also need to take note.  We must get tough and prevent this careless behaviour – especially with summer coming.

With mobs of kids roaming from pillar to post – often stopping traffic – someone’s going to get hurt or killed.

Civil litigation will raise its head and guest parents will sue party parents for not looking after their children.

The good news about last night was that, safe inside my client’s venue, the kids had a ball and the event was a big success.

Phew! Time to get ready for next weekend!

Naomi Oakley, Managing Director, U-NOME Security Communication Specialists.

Out on a Limb

June 14, 2010 at 5:23 am | Posted in Security | 2 Comments
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safe teen party event security

Plant pots? Yes. Party people? No!

The Deadly Dangers of Balconies

Crash!

Last night in Sydney, a balcony packed with people collapsed at a teen party.

Around 20 guests fell more than two metres – many sustaining injuries.

Two ambulance helicopters and several road ambulances ferried them to hospital.

We could have prevented it all.

Prevention

When my company conducts a Safety Assessment on a prospective party property, we establish whether or not the venue is safe.

Based on our experience, we strongly discourage parties in places with balconies.

We’ve learnt the (very) hard way that balconies add to the problems of teen parties and increase the risk of injury.

We know that young guests have a tendency to skylark and ‘show off’ on balconies.

They hang off the sides and pretend to jump.

And sometimes they do jump.

And they fall.

Hard.

Lethal Cocktail

Domestic balconies are not designed or made to withstand dozens of bouncing bodies.

Add cracked concrete, corroded steel, alcohol and pounding music to the mix and what do you have?

Disaster.

Future

Most issues and injuries can be prevented if safety assessments are conducted.

The event permit system I’ve proposed includes this process as part of permit conditions.

It makes sense.

It’ll save lives and limbs.

What are we waiting for?

Naomi Oakley, Managing Director, U-NOME Security Communication Specialists.

Another Bloody Tragedy

April 27, 2010 at 10:07 am | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
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Love your kid? Act like it.

Yet another poor teenage girl dead at a party. 

Yet more Police officers injured at another. 

So many of these event-based tragedies could be easily prevented. 

So when will it end? 

It’ll end when Parents take charge. 

Parents who care for their kids will read this post.  

Parents: 

  • You are in control, not teenagers. 
  • You decide where your teen’s party will be held.
  • You must attend the Police station to register your party.
  • You make the decisions about alcohol type and amount. 
  • You are the one who must observe your teen’s party.
  • When your child’s party turns to crap, you are to blame: no one else.

These are bloody harsh words. 

But I know I don’t want my teenager injured or killed due to other parents not taking control.  

How about you? 

If a party isn’t registered with police, or it has inadequate security provisions, my daughter doesn’t go. 

Better to annoy and disappoint her and keep her home with me than to identify her body at some morgue. 

Emergency services do not exist to clean up your mess and mind your kids.  

YOU ARE IN CHARGE.  

Be an adult. 

Be a parent. 

Take responsibility, draw the line and call the shots. 

Naomi Oakley, Managing Director, U-NOME Security Communication Specialists. 

Business Blogs

Death of the Party

February 5, 2010 at 5:36 am | Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments
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Another Tragedy

This week I read with utter dismay that yet another teenager had lost her life at a party which didn’t have adequate security measures.

Two men also became violently ill on what’s thought to be gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB).

This so-called ‘recreational’ drug has an appropriate nickname of Grievous Bodily Harm.

Escalating Problem

Recreational drugs used to be the domain of people aged 20 and over. Today’s users are getting younger and younger.

Parents must be aware and vigilant. As long as we ignore this problem, teenagers will continue to harm and destroy themselves.

Parties need proper security. Parents and professional crowd controllers can prevent tragedies like this.

Experience

As a former police member and professional crowd controller, I worked many private parties.

I encountered pills, marijuana, liquid drugs and energy drinks (which are far more dangerous than they sound).

With responsible adults supervising an event and observing guests, trouble can be stopped before it starts.

Using clear plastic containers makes it easy to identify alcohol.

Preventing young guests from helping themselves to (what appears to be) alcohol is also vital.

Back packs, sports bags and other large bags often carry large amounts of alcohol to parties. Drugs can be concealed in small cavities.

Solutions

Based on my public and private sector experience, I created a Party Plan Checklist.

Experience has since shown that using this list effectively deters drug use at parties.

I’ve also tabled a legal framework to control private parties.

I firmly believe all these measures are needed to protect young people from today’s deadly dangers.

Naomi Oakley, Managing Director, U-NOME Security Communication Specialists.

Tragic Loss Prevention

January 18, 2010 at 7:39 am | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
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A tragedy that could have been prevented. Photo by redheat.

On hearing of last weekend’s horrific car crash, I was as shocked as the rest of our community.

I did some checking and learned the kids were coming home from a private party, close to the crash scene.

Also confirmed was the information I dreaded: these kids were fleeing gate crashers who’d arrived at the house and were trying to get into the car.

Some of the victims had actually organised a lift beforehand, but it ‘fell through’.

For parents of teenagers, this is our worst nightmare.

Had professional crowd controllers been at the house, they may have been able to calm the situation.

First, the gatecrashers wouldn’t have got near the party. My expert security staff know how to spot and handle intruders in and around an event.

This means observing the area, detecting gatecrashers and removing them quickly.

Speed is vital, to avoid both confrontation and escalation. Thanks to mobile (cell) phones, 10 gatecrashers can swell to 40 in just 20 minutes.

Second, alternative transport could have been organised. Not only could these kids have waited safely with my team, we could’ve got them home safely too.

What an absolute tragedy!

We must develop legislation for safe parties to curb street violence and prevent more needless deaths.

I’m working hard to make this happen right now.

If you feel the same, subscribe to this blog for updates on my recent submission to the Victorian Government.

Naomi Oakley, Managing Director, U-NOME Security Communication Specialists.

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