Police response to IPCA report on 'out of control' gatherings
Thursday, 28 August 2014 - 10:18am
Police accept today's Independent Police Conduct Authority report recommendations regarding the handling of 'out of
control' parties and has already improved its policies and practices for managing these complex and sometimes violent
situations.
Acting Assistant Commissioner Operations, Sam Hoyle, says the report acknowledges the ongoing work done by Police with
the Authority since late 2013 to develop clearer advice for staff when managing such events.
"Following that work, Police has implemented a new policy for managing out of control gatherings, which includes clearer
guidelines for staff on the scope of the powers available to them regarding parties on private property.
"Another important aspect of the new policy is the focus it places on prevention, which includes initiatives such as
engaging with party organisers beforehand to ensure they run a safe, enjoyable and lawful event, whilst also ensuring
the safety of party-goers, the public and our staff.
"Equally, the report highlights that Police regularly face physical and verbal abuse by large numbers of often
intoxicated people when attempting to manage out of control gatherings. This reinforces the important responsibility
that party organisers, attendees, parents and peers must also share in ensuring the behaviour during these events is
safe and appropriate."
Mr Hoyle says Police accepts the Authority's recommendations regarding improved monitoring of social media to engage
with party organisers, and continued development of training relating to public order policing.
"The report has also been helpful in clarifying the legal parameters for our staff when entering private property in
response to out of control parties, as these situations can be dynamic and complex. Police attendance at these parties
is usually in response to calls from concerned property owners, neighbours, party-goers or others who are alarmed about
what is happening and who reasonably expect us to take appropriate action.
"Adding to this complexity is that these events are often highly fluid and typically involve large numbers of
intoxicated people, some of whom are physically and verbally abusive to our staff, where it is common for bottles to be
thrown and fights to break out. This means Police often face a difficult balance in trying to keep party-goers, the
public and themselves safe, whilst upholding the law."
Mr Hoyle says Police attend more than 6,500 noise complaints each year, most of which relate to parties. The vast
majority are managed professionally and without incident.
ENDS