Police upset parents

BY MICHELLE LOTTER

Police attended another incident involving Long Bay College students the same day as a constable was assaulted on school grounds.

The removal of a group of students from Long Bay Reserve by police upset the students and their parents who say police overreacted, principal Russell Brooke says.

Police ordered about 80 students to leave the reserve last Tuesday afternoon after park rangers feared a repeat of last year's end-of-year booze party, North Shore Police senior sergeant Rod Fraser says.

"Alcohol was freely flowing despite many members of the group being under 18 years of age," he says of last week's incident.

While the majority of the group left peacefully after being asked twice by police, three arrests were made for minor disorder, he says.

Mr Brooke says it was reasonable for police to respond given an alcohol-fuelled incident where a female constable's shoulder was dislocated took place at the school at 1am that morning.

"I understand with youth on leave, everyone's a tad jumpy. I've had no other complaints, that's my frustration.

"You don't want to disbelieve the children but I don't want to attack police either."

Torbay resident Carl Allport says he was surprised to see three police cars, a paddy wagon and "at least two dozen officers" outside the park ranger's office.

He says they surrounded the "peaceful" group of students and yelled, telling them to leave or risk being arrested for trespassing.

Mr Fraser says police were under obligation of the Trespass Act to order the students to leave as requested by park rangers.

"It's important we support the rangers at Long Bay Reserve as they had to contend with some very unsavoury language and behaviour until the police arrived."

He says seven staff, not two dozen, attended the incident.

- Following another recent incident a 14-year-old former student is facing charges of threatening to cause grievous bodily harm after allegedly going to Long Bay College with a knife.

School tarnished by ‘difficult’ boy

Long Bay College's image has been tarnished by a student the school was forced to take on, principal Russell Brooke says.

The school is "horrified" about an incident where a female constable's shoulder was dislocated by a student who was drinking on school grounds at about 1am on Tuesday last week.

The student is a "difficult" boy who was previously expelled from another North Shore high school, Mr Brooke says.

He says he initially declined the student's request to enrol at the college but accepted after pressure was put on by the Education Ministry.

The ministry was unavailable for comment.

The college also took on the boy's brother to help the family, Mr Brooke says.

He says he would like to suspend the student but has to wait for advice from the school trustees association.

"The student's let us down and put the school in disrepute and now we don't even know if we can get rid of him."

- © Fairfax NZ News