Dunedin police were flat out this weekend, attending more than 20 domestic violence incidents, nabbing more than a dozen drink drivers and dealing with gang members fighting in the Octagon.
Acting Inspector Craig Dinnissen, of Dunedin, said police attended 22 family harm calls over the horror weekend.
The most prominent of these was an alleged assault in St Kilda on Saturday night, after which both the offender and victim went missing, sparking a massive police manhunt including a rescue helicopter with a powerful searchlight.
The victim was reported to be safe and well by 5pm Sunday, and later that evening the alleged offender, a 22-year-old man, was arrested and charged with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Insp Dinnissen said 14 alcohol impaired drivers were also nabbed by police.
They included a 16-year-old boy who fled police on a scooter, only to be located nearby where he failed a breath alcohol test and a 60-year-old man who blew more than four times the legal limit.
"These numbers need to stop, also given we are heading into Christmas work parties people need to ensure they have sober drivers or put aside money for the taxi ride home,'' he said.
In the central city, numerous incidents of disorder were reported in the Octagon, where ''noted rival gang members'' were fighting with each other, Insp Dinnissen said.
Across town in Port Chalmers, a 32-year-old American tourist drove his rental car up to the railway crossing in Beach St, where the lights and bells were activated as a train approached.
The train driver saw the parked car stopped in line with the train, but was unable to stop in time and scraped the front of the train.
Insp Dinnissen said the driver believed he was far enough back from the crossing to be safe, but the damage to his rental car proved that was not the case.
