Booze driving Kings Cross violence, cops tell forum
The New South Wales Government has launched a sweeping investigation into every bar and club in Sydney's Kings Cross in an effort to tackle alcohol-fuelled violence.
There has been a public outcry over the death of 18-year-old Thomas Kelly, who was killed after being king hit while walking along a Kings Cross street earlier this month.
Hundreds of people crammed into the Sydney Town Hall last night to debate the issue with a panel including politicians, police, crime experts and liquor industry representatives.
NSW Assistant Police Commissioner Mark Murdoch told the forum last night that now is the time to fix the city's alcohol addiction.
"I'm going to cut straight to the chase and not muck around - it's the abuse and availability of alcohol... and that is the problem," he said to applause from the crowd.
"Drugs are certainly an issue in Kings Cross, they have been historically," he added.
"I think more the problem is the combination of drugs and alcohol. Drugs is not the problem in Kings Cross ... alcohol's the problem."
As he was speaking, inspectors were walking into Kings Cross bars to begin a major compliance audit of every licensed venue on the nightclub strip.
"That has commenced this evening at 6:00pm and will be undertaken over ensuing days," Hospitality Minister George Souris told the Town Hall meeting.
He said a management plan would be developed for the area to address transport issues and licensing approvals.
David Anstee, a friend of Mr Kelly's family, pleaded for an education campaign to counter unhealthy attitudes to drinking: "That it's cool to go out and sink shots all night..that it's uncool not to club til 4:00am in the morning."
Local federal MP Malcolm Turnbull also addressed the forum, saying he did not believe the streets of Kings Cross were safe on weekends.
"All of us felt that could be our son, our daughter, it could have been us. And have we reached the point where right in the heart of this great city people of any age cannot walk the streets with safety?" he said.
"I'm concerned for every person that goes there."
Don Weatherburn from the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research says 86 per cent of assaults in Kings Cross are alcohol-related.
"We estimate that it’s costing St Vincent’s Hospital emergency department about $1.6 million per year. And that doesn’t include any in-patient care," he said.
Sydney's Lord Mayor Clover Moore told the forum better public transport out of the area was needed.
She also wants nightclubs to have to re-apply for liquor licences every year.
"If you're not up to standard you don’t get that renewal," she told the forum.
The forum was mainly attended by residents of Kings Cross and the neighbouring Potts Point.
Many said they were sick of the violence and the crowd was often hostile to representatives of the clubs and pubs.
Paul Nicolaou, the head of the New South Wales branch of the Australian Hotels Association, said the community had to shoulder some of the blame for the booze-related violence.
"It seems that the community, our society, thinks that violence is an acceptable act and it's OK to be violent," he said.
Mr Nicolaou said he wanted more police around the hotspots and more enforcement of existing rules.
Source: ABC News, 18 July 2012
