Alcoholic violence Operation Unite hits Fortitude Valley

FORTITUDE Valley streets crackle with an almost tangible energy as tens of thousands of people from all walks of life converge for another night of boozy behaviour.

The area is a virtual melting pot of class and culture and together they become like one large, temperamental and unpredictable living, breathing organism, as the vibe tentatively balances on the knife-edge of celebratory and chaotic.

History shows it can go either way and usually emergency officers hold their breath in anticipation of uncontrollable drunken antics.

But this weekend, they have the upper hand.

Police numbers were more than double what they usually are because of a national campaign, called Operation Unite, to tackle alcohol-fuelled violence.

The incidents include a confrontation involving two gangs at Alfred St at 12.25am, which nine police attend. Almost at the same time, a man is reportedly

being hit over the head with a bottle at a club on Ann St. Outside the Mustang Bar, a glassing victim becomes unruly before collapsing on the pavement. Next to him a woman, who was nearby when it occurred, is having shards of glass removed from her hand.

In the mall, the Chaplain Watch program headed by Lance Mergard is trialling a Night Safe zone with the help of Young Australian of the Year Jonty Bush.

They treat an 18-year-old girl who has passed out from too much alcohol and stay until the ambulance arrives.

By the end of the night, they'll have had another 10 such incidents and almost 20 more wandering in for assistance.

Outside Magic City in Warner St, another man is lashing out at police and a woman lies unconscious on the footpath.

Police tackle several other incidents nearby – in the City near Hungry Jacks and at Caxton St, which five units attend including the riot squad.

More arrests are made after problem patrons are evicted from clubs but, by 3am, the crowds have cleared and the atmosphere becomes visibly less volatile.

This is highly unusual for this time of night because a great deal of drunken violence generally occurs after the lockout and when the last venues shut at 5am.

Police officers remark that the Valley has been a lot quieter this weekend compared to others but their increased presence allows them to defuse potentially volatile situations much more quickly and successfully.

In Queensland, there were about 900 arrests and more than 1000 charges laid during Operation Unite.

"We're particularly disturbed by the large number of arrests we've had. It's unfortunate we've had to take this action," Deputy Commissioner Ian Stewart said.

"I'm sure having extra police out there meant we had more arrests."

Mr Stewart said the operation, which involved 1800 uniformed and plain-clothed officers, was a success. "This is not just about one weekend. This is about the
ongoing policing of the community right across Australia," he said.

The State Government has spent $1.5 million bolstering police numbers until the end of January but won't commit to extending it further.

"In terms of the ongoing nature of government and community response to this issue, I believe the parliamentary inquiry will provide impetus to potentially some other decisions that need to be made as well," Police Minister Neil Roberts said.

"There's no doubt, the Valley CBD and Gold Coast in particular are two areas where issues are constantly being raised."

Published in Courier Mail 14 December
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26481102-3102,00.html