A joint initiative to reduce disorder around student parties in Palmerston North has been hailed "a great success".

Historically Palmerston North has experienced significant levels of disorder and numerous street fires, as end of exam antics stretch the resources of emergency services and impact on the lives of other residents.

This year Police and Fire joined forces with the City Council, Massey University and Student Association, and UCOL Student Association to proactively encourage students to celebrate the end of their study year responsibly.

One of the biggest problems in the past has been the burning of unwanted furniture as students prepare to leave their flats. To combat this, the Palmerston North Safety Advisory Board sponsored two free collections with students urged via leaflets and publicity to place all unwanted items outside their homes on the designated days.

Police officers and fire safety officers also visited the student accommodation advising them of the campaign and offering helpful information on fire safety and responsible hosting.

This proactive approach saw a significant reduction in the number of incidents in the city.

Senior Sergeant Brett Calkin said: "Sadly there was still a mindless minority who ignored the message and we had a few small fires to contend with, but the little trouble we did have was very confined to one small area. The operation also had a community impact as the collections resulted in about seven trucks of rubbish and another four full of furniture for the Salvation Army; furniture that instead of being burned in the street will go to help other local families. All-in-all we feel the initiative was a great success and will look to repeat it."

In total, three men and one woman were arrested. One man was arrested for disorderly behaviour likely to cause violence, one woman for disorderly behaviour and two men for obstructing the Police. All four will appear at court on Thursday (12 November).

Please view the full news release online at:

http://www.police.govt.nz/news/release/21517.html

ENDS

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