Lockout laws fail to curb violence
What’s the impact of the Baird Government’s lockout laws on violence in King’s Cross?
The answer can be summed up in one word: zip.
According to new statistics, the lockout law have done little to curb violence on the streets before 3am.
According to Don Weatherburn from the Bureau of Crime Statistics, the lockout and last drinks had reduced violence in Sydney’s CBD.
However, they had failed to bring about any significant drop in violence in the Cross before 3am.
“Both of them (lockouts and early closing) worked for the CBD, only one worked for Kings Cross,’’ Weatherburn told the Daily Telegraph.
“Kings Cross had a 94 per cent drop (in assaults) after 3am. The short story is Kings Cross got its principal benefit out of hours after 3am.
In the meantime pressure is building on the government to change the laws.
The Australian Hotels Association is pushing for the government to extend bottle shop closing times. It also wants lockout times to be reviewed.
The laws are now being reviewed by Former High Court judge Ian Callinan. The review, which is being carried out two years after the laws were introduced by the O’Farrell government, will be handed down in August.
The government said it is waiting to see what the review finds.
“The review is considering the relevant statistical data relating to alcohol-related violence and anti-social behaviour to inform its findings.”
“The Premier will await the outcome of Ian Callinan’s review of the laws,’’ a spokesman for the New South Wales premier Mike Baird told the Daily Telegraph.
The president of the Police Association Scott Weber said his group would reassess the lockout laws and the state-wide 10pm bottle shop close time once the review is released.
“The Last Drinks Coalition, which is nurses, doctors and ambulance officers, die in a ditch on trading hours (closing times) but the rest of the arguments have to be evidence-based… We’re quite happy to have those conversations (around bottle shop closing and when lockouts start but) it’s got to be on evidence. We’re willing to have a look.” Weber said in a statement.
by Leon Gettler, 14th June 2016
