Non-students causing issues at St Patrick’s Day parties

Revellers from far afield as Auckland attended St Patrick’s Day parties in Dunedin’s student quarter – while largely non-students featured in the arrests.

Thousands of people partied – many starting before 5am – in the student area on Sunday, with police making just seven arrests with just one a Dunedin-based student.

St Patrick’s Day was over by 7.45am for a 19-year-old Dunedin builder, who was arrested on Leith St for disorderly behaviour.

Minutes later, at 8.10am, a 19-year-old Invercargill woman, who was also not a student, was also arrested on Leith St and faces charges of intentional damage and assault.

Two foul-mouthed teens, one a student the other a non-student, were also arrested after swearing at passing police officers.

And at Bracken View, a popular lookout attracting thousands of mainly first-year students, a 19-year-old was arrested for offensive language on Sunday afternoon, Bond said.

The teen was a shearer from the North Island who was visiting Dunedin for the day.

Another two non-students, a 21-year-old man and a 20-year-old man, were spotted throwing around a rubbish bin on Dundas St, and they both “became aggressive and argumentative with police when spoken to”.

Meanwhile, a large party at a flat known as The Lakehouse, which attracted 1500, reported no issues, with noise control officers visiting the property at 11pm.

University of Otago student services director Claire Gallop noted the presence of a large number of people from other centres at the festivities, including from Christchurch and Auckland.

It was not uncommon for those in the student quarter to get up at 4.30am to start their celebrations, which included drinking “six before six” – six alcohol beverages before 6am – then a “wine before 9” and finally a “goon before noon”.

It is traditionally a busy day for emergency services, including the public hospital’s ED.

Hato Hone St John attended 13 St Patrick’s Day-related incidents in the North Dunedin area on Sunday by 4pm.

As usual, there was a visible police presence in student areas on Sunday.

Members of Campus Watch were also out on patrol.