Teens c-rave top night out

Jade Hill  TBW Newsgroup
TIME TO RAVE: Mount Gambier Police Senior Constable First Class Jade Hill has her headphones ready for the Blue Light event and is encouraging teens to get their tickets from the Mount Gambier Police Station. Picture: TODD LEWIS
Jade Hill TBW Newsgroup
TIME TO RAVE: Mount Gambier Police Senior Constable First Class Jade Hill has her headphones ready for the Blue Light event and is encouraging teens to get their tickets from the Mount Gambier Police Station. Picture: TODD LEWIS

TEENAGERS from across the Limestone Coast will be treated to music from some of the region’s best DJs when the South Australian Police hosts a rave at the Old Mount Gambier Gaol later this month.

Held in conjunction with Blue Light Australia, police officers from Mount Gambier hope to give teenagers, between the age of 13 and 17, a fun social experience.

Senior Constable First Class Jade Hill started organising the free community event to address a perceived gap in entertainment for teens in the region.

“I moved down here at the end of January last year and I have been heavily involved with Blue Light events and really noticed there’s not a lot for teens down here in terms of entertainment, other than sports,” Snr Cnst Hill said.

“So I came up with the idea of C-Rave – it’s called C-Rave because it’s a cop rave.”

She said the community has backed the event, including the Old Mount Gambier Gaol which donated the space for the evening.

“It basically started because I was talking to Mel Stephenson and she said we could collaborate and do something together and it sort of grew from there,” she said.

“The DJs are volunteering their time as well because they saw it as an important cause for the children of that age group,” she said.

The DJ sets will include a special appearance from one of Mount Gambier’s leading officers.

“We will also have DJ Campbell Hill or as I refer to him, DJ Chill, because he used to DJ at Fresh FM a very long time ago,” Snr Cnst Hill said.

“The teenagers will be able to see that we are human and we can have fun too.”

The drug and alcohol free event will also have plenty of free food and other entertainment on offer for those who attend.

“There will be free pizza, free soft drink and some prize giveaways and given it is a Blue Light event it will be a lockout,” Snr Cnst Hill
said.

She said the event would give youth a chance to engage with the police in a friendly and relaxed setting.

“We have made the tickets available from the police station so they know it’s fine to come into a police station – it’s a safe place,” she
said.

“This event is about showing that it does not have to be all doom and gloom when you deal with the police, it can actually be a positive experience.”

The event will take place at the Old Mount Gambier Gaol from 7pm to 10pm on February 28.