Chaos on Crate Day

SMASHED: National Crate Day was a disaster in Masterton with one police car window being smashed and more than a dozen arrests in alcohol-related incidents. PHOTO/CHERIE TAYLOR

Wairarapa police have linked a National Crate Day radio promotion to a weekend spike in arrests throughout the region for disorderly behaviour and domestic violence.

Masterton police sergeant Simon Irving said Wairarapa police had arrested 18 people over a 24-hour period from 7am on Saturday and "the majority of those had said they were involved in various ways with National Crate Day".

He said a group of young and mainly male National Crate Day drinkers were involved in smashing the rear window of a police car in Herbert St in the town about lunchtime on Saturday.

The culprit could not be identified, he said, but several hours later three members of the group, aged from 19 to 21, were arrested at Queen Elizabeth Park for disorderly behaviour and breaching a town liquor ban.

He said infringement notices were handed out for the liquor ban breaches and a pre-charge warning was given for the single count of disorderly behaviour.

The Rock FM radio station was running the fourth annual National Crate Day promotion, which was "about celebrating the first Saturday of summer sharing a crate with your mates", according to the station website.

Participants were urged to photograph themselves drinking from long-neck bottles of beer and to post the images to a National Crate Day Facebook page.

Promotion prizes were offered including crates, beer coolers, meat packs and the Cratest Hits music CD.

Mr Irving said 15 arrests had been in Masterton for disorderly behaviour or domestic violence while a single arrest for domestic violence was made in each of Carterton and Featherston and an arrest was made in Greytown for disorderly behaviour.

"They were all alcohol-related and most admitted to partaking in the crate day, which involved drinking from quart bottles.

"The team policing unit had to come across from Wellington to assist. It was a very busy night for police," he said.

"It's promoting binge drinking and in this district, at least, there's a definite link between National Crate Day and general alcohol-related disorder.

"I've only been here two-and-a-half years but I've never seen this many arrests over one 24-hour period. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to work out there has to be some correlation."

Sergeant Irving said a report would be made to Wairarapa Police Area Commander Brent Register "who may recommend preventative action at a district, or even national level" if there was a greater number of arrests linked to National Crate Day in other provinces as well.