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.
