Yesterday, Senior Constable John Woodhouse said during Flo and O Week there had been no reports of couch burnings.
In his more than 10-year career as the campus police officer he had never had a year where couches all survived the return of students.
"No reported couch fires, hardly any serious incidents. Overall, the behaviour from students has been excellent," Snr Const Woodhouse said.
Students on Castle St said the fear of expulsion was the main driver of the decline of the couch fire.
Second-year students Qwenton McKenzie, Ryder Bennett and Hugh Evans moved into their Castle St flat about two weeks ago — just in time for Flo and O Week — and had noticed the street had less carnage and was more controlled than last year. All three said they put that down to a noticeable police and Campus Watch presence, the threat of expulsion, and students coming together and helping clean up the street as best they could the next morning.
Mr Evans said nobody really wanted to live in a pigsty.
"The cleanups have actually been so good. Every morning I immediately saw people cleaning."
The flatmates all agreed their flat got away with minimal damage, thanks to the police officer guarding the end of their driveway from the general horde.
Mr Bennett was "pretty sure" the Dunedin police had got their "friendliest looking cops" on shift as well for the start-of-year festivities, which gave people an incentive to keep their toes in line.
"We had a couple of cops come over the other day and had a bit of a chat with them. If no-one was there it would have been a lot, lot worse."
More than anything, the absence of couch fires could be put down to not wanting to be put on academic probation, which is the threat that looms over any potential arsonist’s head.
"Nobody wants to be the guy to take that risk . . . that’s fair enough, I guess."
Snr Const Woodhouse said behaviour was just "getting better and better each year".
It was not just police and the university appreciating the better behaviour, but also the students themselves.
"I think once the new cohort of students comes in, the culture slowly changes — the student behaviour is a result of the police, Campus Watch, the university and everyone getting on board with the organisation of these parties.
A University of Otago spokesman said Campus Watch was pleased with the behaviour of the majority of students during the past two weeks.
"Students have now settled into their study this week and seem to be enjoying their time on campus."
