Police arrest 60 as holiday blitz starts

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 34026, 15 December 1975, Page 18

Police arrest 60 as holiday blitz starts

l ast week’s spate of violent crime in Christchurch was followed by a record number of arrests at the weekend.

About 60 persons were arrested in the city between midday on Friday and 6 a.m. yesterday, a police spokesman said. Twenty-six of these appeared in the Magistrate’s or Children and Young Persons courts on Saturday morning, and a record 32 spent last night in the cells at the Christchurch Central Police Station. Most of the arrests were for what the commander of the Christchurch Police District (Chief Superintendent G. E. Twentyman) has called "anti - social” offences — assault, disorderly or offensive behaviour, and resisting arrest. Among the most serious were four assaults on policemen. the spokesman said.

These left two constables ‘pretty badly battered and bruised.” but able to continue with their duties. The record number of arrests for anti-social offences was in line with the annual upsurge in this type of behaviour during Christmas, said Mr Twentyman. Mr Twentyman earlier announced an intensive police campaign against anti-social crime in Christchurch this summer. “Many people have obviously ignored the warning,” he said. “But the number of arrests at the week-end could also be a result of increased police efforts.”