Bottle shop sales in sights of NSW police

Police in New South Wales say bottle shops are the next frontier in tackling alcohol-related violence.

Assistant Commissioner Mark Murdoch has told an alcohol summit at State Parliament that the number of alcohol-related assaults has fallen in the past 10 years in all but one area, assaults connected to domestic violence.

He says domestic violence related murders are also trending up.

"I have absolutely no doubt that trend is a consequence of substance abuse, both alcohol and illicit drug use," Mr Murdoch told the summit.

The Assistant Commissioner says policing alcohol sales is a challenge when it comes to off-licence premises, including bottle shops and supermarkets.

The summit heard that off-licence sales account for around 70 per cent of all alcohol purchased in NSW.

"Whilst in a hotel or a club there are responsible service provisions, you can hook the box trailer up to the back of the Holden Commodore, pull up outside Dan Murphy's and fill it up every day, every week, all year and no-one bats an eyelid," Assistant Commissioner Murdoch said.

"I'm not suggesting prohibition, but we need to get smarter in that space, because people just buy as much as they can physically carry."

Source: ABC News, 14 March 2013