Acting Commissioner says he's worried about more alcohol-fueled violence and want earlier closing times. | NSW Police Commissioner says we have to end our love affair with booze.
Police are worried the influx of construction workers into Christchurch could lead to more violence related to drinking.
Speaking on TV3’s The Nation, Acting Police Commissioner Viv Rickard said that with 30,000 more workers the police needed to be careful what happens to the city over the next 10 years.
His comments come a week after the serious assault on cricketer Jesse Ryder.
Last week Christchurch police proposed that all suburban bars in the city shut at 1am and that inner city bars operate a “one-way door” from 1am and then close at 3am.
“Most people that are offenders are 24 years and under,” he said. “Close to 80% of those people that we arrest are affected by alcohol.
“So when you connect those two things – lots of males, alcohol – you could have problems in the future, hence the reason Christchurch police quite rightly are trying to get in early.”
Mr Rickard said people would still be able to come into the city and be entertained.
“But you know this is the way we're going to behave in Christchurch, rather than just have a free-for-all. “
He said Christchurch had had a number of high-profile assaults blamed on alcohol recently.
“The reality is Christchurch is a vibrant city – it's under construction.”
Christchurch East MP Lianne Dalziel said she also believed the construction workforce would throw up more alcohol and violence problems as they came into the city.
“I think the police are adopting a much more proactive response ahead of the problems that they see emerging."
And Christchurch Central MP Nicky Wagner said she also supported the police proposals.
“I think it's going to make a significant difference and as we roll out the new reforms in the Alcohol Bill, I think we're going to see real change particularly in Christchurch.”
NSW Police – “we need to fall out of love with booze”
Speaking on the same theme on The Nation, New South Wales Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said the transTasman problem of alcohol-fueled violence is a problem that police can’t “arrest our way out of”.
He said more than 70% of his officers’ time is spent dealing with alcohol-related offences. NSW police targeting of trouble areas has been successful – but police work is only part of the solution.
“I guarantee you your police force will not arrest your way out of this problem.
“There's more, we need to be sure that we're educating our young people. And it's no good getting a young man at 17 and saying now we're going to teach you as you move into your 18th year and you can go to a hotel, how to conduct yourself when it comes to alcohol.
"This needs to happen when that young man's seven or eight.”
Mr Scipione says drinking patterns have changed, with more and more people drinking to get drunk, and that a shift away from booze culture is vital to reducing alcohol-fuelled violence, in both Australia and New Zealand.
“This notion of people, particularly younger people, but not only younger people, seemingly going out with the intention of drinking until they drop, until they fall over and they can't function, or drinking until they're ready to fight anybody about anything. We need to change that.”
