Wanaka police are planning to crack down on the illegal supply of alcohol to minors this weekend as senior pupils from Mount Aspiring College prepare to celebrate the end of school for the year.
Senior Sergeant Alan Grindell said police were aware "through the grapevine" of some large end-of-year gatherings being organised for this weekend. He reminded people it was an offence to buy alcohol to supply to someone under the age of 18, except when it was parents buying alcohol for young people to consume at private parties.
"We're just concerned about how a lot of these young people are getting alcohol," he said.
While off-licences in Wanaka were "pretty vigilant", police knew some people "visit more than once in the night and try to purchase liquor and there's only one reason they're doing that".
At least one Wanaka off-licence premises had refused customers who tried to make repeat purchases because of the likelihood their intention was to supply alcohol to minors.
"The main source of alcohol for youth in Wanaka who are under 18 seems to be coming from private sources rather than premises licensed under the Sale of Liquor Act, so that's a concern for us."
Snr Sgt Grindell said it was illegal to supply alcohol to young people attending large public parties.
Extra officers will be rostered on this weekend to police the supply of alcohol to minors, while also targeting other alcohol-related offences such as drink-driving, selling alcohol to intoxicated people and breaching the liquor ban.
The police crackdown comes after three Wanaka teenagers were charged this month for their alleged part in a group beating of two men outside the Doughbin Bakery in Ardmore St early on October 30. The two 16-year-old males and one 17-year-old male are due to reappear in the youth court division in the Queenstown District Court next month.
Mount Aspiring College principal Wayne Bosley said he had not heard of any parties organised for this weekend, but he encouraged parents to "abide by the law" when it came to alcohol and teenagers.
"Every school in the country is concerned about use of alcohol with young people and... we would certainly hope that parents would be as responsible as possible with the use of alcohol with their sons and daughters," Mr Bosley said.
