Police fine schoolies

ERIN PEARSON
EXCESSIVE boozing and property damaged has marred otherwise good behaviour during schoolies on the Surf Coast, according to residents and police.
Torquay Police Sergeant Dean Parrello said officers were “fed up” with “nuisance issues” and “opportunistic” property damage.
Police had issued many fines of $125 for drinking in public and $489 for urinating in public.
“It might come to the point where schoolies may not be able to get accommodation if they continue doing this,” he said.
“Young males walking home from nightspots have caused unnecessary destruction that local residents shouldn’t have to put up with.”
Mark Gellie, of schoolies support volunteer body Red Frogs, said the revellers were taking “dangerous” cocktails of alcohol, energy drinks, caffeine tablets and illicit drugs.
“Alcohol’s still the drug of choice, that’s the real concern,” he said.
“We had record numbers of around 2000 call our Victorian hotline this year, mainly asking for our walk-home service.
“We’re seeing teens looking out for their mates more but alcohol remains a large problem.”
Torquay resident Spencer Leighton said schoolies had vandalised trees, littered streets, smashed glass and uprooted street signs.
“The sad part is that most of the schoolies are welcome but they bring a lunatic fringe with them who think that after midnight when they’re pissed that our town is theirs to wreck.”
But Torquay’s Chris Oliver said schoolies were “barely noticeable” this year after telling the Independent in previous years he was “fed up” with their behaviour.
“The police have been a lot more proactive the last two years and I think that’s really helped,” he said.
“Certainly, the impact of schoolies has been a lot less this year.”
Lorne Police Sergeant David Cooper said his town had “no real issue” with schoolies except for some noise complaints and fines for drinking in the street.
Attendance was similar to previous years but the behaviour was much better, he said.