Local police numbers were swelled by the public order policing unit, from Christchurch, and it was soon called into action on Saturday night, after a series of parties and some burning couches flared in Agnew St, Forth St and Harbour Tce between 9.40pm and 12.30am.
"The unit was meant to be going down to a shearing competition in Balclutha, but they weren't required, so they helped us out around town," Senior Sergeant Craig Brown, of Dunedin, said yesterday.
Two people were arrested, for alleged offences including disorderly behaviour and breaching bail conditions, and an 18-year-old female student was taken to the central police station for detoxification.
Earlier on Saturday, a 21-year-old man drove into a parking meter in Frederick St, knocking it to the ground before fleeing.
"They would appear to be fairly well cemented in. He did a fair bit of damage to the car," Snr Sgt Brown said.
"There were a few students bobbing around for the loose change, cashing in, you might say, until the DCC got there."
The man presented himself to police at lunchtime yesterday and was likely to face careless driving charges.
Police were also investigating an alleged assault on a female taxi driver by a male passenger who was dropped off at a Portsmouth Dr address on Saturday night.
