Audit identifies discrepancies in Kings Cross security
An audit of pubs and clubs in Kings Cross has found ''substantial variations'' in the adequacy of CCTV coverage and the reporting of incidents including assaults.
The four-day crackdown, ordered by the Hospitality Minister, George Souris, in the wake of the death of 18-year-old Thomas Kelly has identified several venues that are not up to scratch.
Mr Souris said venues varied greatly on which incidents they reported in their compulsory log books and how much detail they included.
Some also had extensive CCTV coverage of every part of the premises while others only had partial coverage.
He would not say how many breaches were detected across the 45 venues inspected or which venues were lagging but there were none that had no reporting processes or CCTV in place.
Despite the crackdown, it was a ''pretty standard'' weekend of assaults and drunkenness, said the crime manager of Kings Cross police, Paul McDonald.
''The reports of assaults and drunkenness [are] normal course for the weekend,'' said Detective Inspector McDonald.
A brawl behind the police station between six people who had left a nightclub about 4am on Sunday was one of several incidents.
A spokesman for Mr Souris said the Office of Liquor and Gaming would now ''trawl through all the information [from the audit] and decide which venues are up to scratch and which aren't''.
All incident reports will be cross-referenced with data from the police and Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research to determine if there has been any under-reporting.
If significant breaches are found, further regulatory measures including licensing conditions on individual venues or precinct-wide may be imposed.
"This will be a valuable exercise that will help provide a clear picture of venue peak trading nights, capacities, target demographics, CCTV coverage, incident reporting, responsible service of alcohol (RSA) register standards, security and alcohol management plans and any identified risks,'' Mr Souris said.
The Kings Cross police commander, Superintendent Sue Waites, said an audit would not stop assaults in ''the public arena'' but Inspector McDonald said it would help police.
''Anything that goes to increasing reporting of incidents or reducing crime in and around premises, we'd greatly appreciate,'' he said.
Mr Kelly died after being punched in the head in Kings Cross just after 10pm on Saturday, July 7. Kieran Loveridge, 18, has been charged with murder over the unprovoked and random attack.
