Lockout laws in Kings Cross have fallen short on the promise of curbing violence in the streets before 3am according to new statistics.
Reports The Daily Telegraph, pre 3am violence occurring in Kings Cross hasn’t improved much since introducing the 1:30am lock out and the 3am last drinks laws.
Don Weatherburn from the Bureau of Crime Statistics stated that the lockout and last drinks laws had an impact on reducing violence in Sydney’s CBD, but have 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… 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.”
Last week Scott Weber, president of the Police Association, announced that the group would consider reassessing the lockout laws, as well as the state wide 10pm bottle shop cut off, once the review into the laws is handed down in August.
Weber stated: “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.”
The Australian Hotels Association is asking for bottle shop closing times to be extended first and foremost, and then for lockout times to be reassessed. The National Party is also determined for bottle shops and pubs in rural areas of NSW to be extended past 10pm.
Former High Court judge Ian Callinan’s review was scheduled to occur two years after Barry O’Farrell’s introduction of the laws in 2014.
A spokesperson for NSW Premier Mike Baird told the Tele:: “The Premier will await the outcome of Ian Callinan’s review of the laws. The review is considering the relevant statistical data relating to alcohol-related violence and anti-social behaviour to inform its findings.”
