Police target beaches, city on Australia Day

Police have almost doubled the number of potential problem hot spots they will focus on this Australia Day in response to the drunken behaviour that m
More than 2000 officers will be deployed to organised events and popular spots next Tuesday as part of Operation Medallion.

The operation will also involve 34 police commands reporting each hour or two about any incidents to the NSW Police Operations Centre in Surry Hills.

The areas have been selected based on a risk assessment and are predominantly within the Sydney metropolitan region, including the CBD and all beachside

areas.

Each command will be asked to report to Assistant Commissioner Mark Murdoch, who will oversee the operation aimed at ensuring Australia Day runs without

incident. Last year 19 commands were asked to report in regularly.

''There will be a substantial increase,'' a police spokeswoman said. ''We will be concentrating on high-volume areas of the CBD. Our message will be about

alcohol explicitly and that people need to take personal responsibility.''

The increased effort by police follows the arrest of 92 people on Australia Day last year, who were charged with 113 offences including the assault of officers.

That figure was more than triple the 30 arrests in 2008.

Police are concerned that warm weather and alcohol could again cause problems this year. ''Crime appears to be on the increase over the last couple of years

and we see alcohol as the contributing factor,'' the spokeswoman said.

''It is time again for Australians to rethink the she'll be right attitude to this problem. We're not saying don't have a drink, we are saying if people are having a

drink they should do so responsibly.''

However, the NSW branch of the Australian Hotels Association has rejected the notion that the day has become a celebration overrun by drunken louts. The

director of policing and regulator relations, John Green, said the problems were caused by a minority in small pockets of the state. The 92 arrests made

statewide last year compared favourably with the 85 drug-related arrests at just one event, the Sydney Big Day Out, a day earlier, he said.

''We do not agree that the day has been hijacked,'' Mr Green said. ''We consider the vast majority behave responsibly and see Australia Day for what it is, an

opportunity to celebrate who we are as a nation, without drinking to excess or acting irresponsibly.'' Mr Green said no proprietors of licensed premises he had

spoken to had so far agreed to the police plea to limit alcohol sales in a bid to curb Australia Day violence. They include a ban on takeaway sales of products

with more than 4 per cent alcohol up to 2pm, and with more than 5 per cent after 9pm.

"You don't see police stopping drivers from buying petrol on Australia Day in an effort to reduce the road toll; they employ double demerits for the drivers of

the cars," he said.

Organisers at one of last year's problem areas, Manly, have held regular meetings with police after 80 youths ran amok at The Corso and jumped on car

bonnets. The Mayor of Manly, Jean Hay, said this year there would be an increased police presence and council rangers would be deployed to enforce

alcohol-free zones, which included most public areas.
Issued by Sydney Morning Herald 19th January 2010
http://www.smh.com.au/national/police-target-beaches-city-on-australia-day-20100118-mgt5.html