Licensing restrictions introduced to a number of pubs and bars in Newcastle City have led to a significant decrease in the number of alcohol related assaults and violence at night with police considering expanding it to other parts of the state.
A BOCSAR (Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research) report released today revealed that between April 2008 to March this year, assaults after dark fell 133 per year in the Newcastle CBD area after the restrictions were introduced to 14 licensed premises.
Police from Newcastle LAC made an application to the Liquor Administration Board against 14 local pubs which they believed were causing “undue disturbance of the quiet and good order of the neighbourhood”. And it was announced today that six licensed premises in neighbouring Hamilton will be forced to follow suit.
The restrictions include:
· 1am lockout at all 14 premises
· Bringing forward the closing time from 5am to 3.30am for 11 premises, and to 2.30am for premises that were closing at 3am
· From 10pm there was to be no service of shots, mixed drinks with more than 30ml alcohol and no sale of more than four drinks per person
· Each licensee had to enter an agreement to share a radio network to enable management and security of each hotel to communicate with each other
The results have been so successful that NSW Police Force will continue to make applications to adopt appropriate restrictions in other areas of the state where alcohol consumption, associated crime and community disturbance is a problem.
“Already we have the restrictions in Newcastle and now Hamilton. It’s something we are looking at applying for in other parts of NSW however I just want to stress that this is a lengthy and protracted process that it not taken lightly by police,” Supt Cooke said.
“We only make the application for a section 79 “disturbance complaint” when we have a lot of evidence that late night noise, anti-social behaviour and alcohol related crime is disturbing the residents of that neighbourhood.
“In the Newcastle example, the licensees contributed significantly to the reduction in assaults by complying with the restrictions.”
These restrictions on the sale of alcohol, applied for in an attempt to reduce the high levels of alcohol related crime, were “unprecedented”.
“The BOCSAR stats mean that 133 people less have been hurt in senseless, drunken fights in Newcastle CBD which was a problem area. And as police who have to deal with alcohol related assaults most nights of the week, this is a very encouraging result,” Supt Cooke said.
As well as total assaults (DV, non DV and assault police) falling from 412 between (April 07-March 08) to 296 (April 08-March 09), disorderly conduct dropped from 412 to 224 (down 108) and night time calls to police in Newcastle and Waratah LACs in regards to hoodlums went down from 176 to 121 and for intoxicated persons 197 to 171 in the same timeframe.
Apart from these restrictions imposed on the 14 Newcastle licensed premises, NSWPF are focussing on the reduction of alcohol related crime this summer through a number of strategies.
New liquor licensing regulations which came into effect 12 months ago yesterday concerning the most violent premises are still being enforced and these include times outs, plastic cups replacing glass, no “shots” after 10pm and lock outs.
“We have seen a 10.9 per cent drop statewide for assaults at licensed premises and a 22 per cent drop in glassings from the 2007/08 to 2008/09 financial year,” Supt Cooke said.
“However experience shows alcohol related crime increases in the summer months which is why the Commissioner recently launched Operation Unite with his counterparts from the other states.
“This will be a massive enforcement operation starting Friday December 11 for two days when thousands of extra police will target alcohol fuelled crime and anti social behaviour. However this is one of many ongoing operations throughout the summer we are conducting to stem alcohol related violence.
“The police have had enough and hopefully the message will be loud and clear.”
Published in New South Wales Government NSW Police Force 2 December
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