Last Friday was the party from hell. 140 volatile 16 year olds in a tiny house. With a pool! From 8 to 10 pm, we seized 50 assorted alcohol containers that guests had strapped to themselves. We were able to spot these on the boys, but the girls hid their booze under their skirts. Fortunately,…
On Saturday night I had a security team looking after an 18th birthday near Berwick (in Melbourne’s outer east). The event, for 70 guests, was on a big property on an unmade road. My crew initially controlled BYO alcohol entering the property by helping parents organise a central bar and serve all drinks in plastic…
Saturday night’s party showed why crowd control is a delicate and volatile yet necessary affair. At 9.30 pm I spotted four males sitting on a fence, six houses up from my client’s. All were drinking and using their mobile phones. In my experience, when people hang round like this, it’s time to disperse and move…
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…
Last week I ran a security crew at a family home in a nice suburb. It was a 14th birthday party with no alcohol. At 10.30 pm, 20 gatecrashers (aged 15-18) turned up and tried scaling the fences to get in. My staff chased, stopped and removed them – whereupon they fled down a side…
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…
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…
I read in Sunday’s paper about a man who held a party for his 17-year-old daughter. This father assaulted a female guest and digitally raped another while she slept. He has now been convicted Parents must be extremely careful with regard to adults who assist at parties (as well as their roles on the day).…
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…