Police continue to crackdown on drunken violence

Police across Australia and New Zealand hope that the more than 1364 arrests and 95 assaults in this weekend’s crackdown of alcohol-related violence and anti-social behaviour reinforces the message that alcohol misuse will not be tolerated.

While these figures are disappointing, not all party-goers out to have a good time drink to excess and place themselves or others in danger. This Operation Unite is the third operation conducted across Australia and New Zealand targeting trouble makers and antisocial behaviour resulting from alcohol misuse.

“This operation is not about restricting the public from going out and having a good time, but about promoting a message that we all have to think about our behaviour and that of our mates and consider the impact it may have long after the night is over,” says Operation Unite spokesperson Commissioner Andrew Scipione.

“Police know they can not win this battle on their own and therefore this Operation Unite calls for people to step back and think about how their drinking behaviour can negatively impact on their lives and the lives of others. It helps remind everyone that there is no fun in ending the night in a police cell or a hospital bed,” says Mr Scipione.

Alcohol Education & Rehabilitation Foundation Deputy Chairman Scott Wilson says: “One person’s irresponsible drinking can lead to injury, hospitalisation and worst of all – death. Recent research released by the AER Foundation found that in Australia, someone dies each day because of someone else’s drinking. We also know that alcohol is linked to almost 45,000 assaults on our streets and in our communities.[1]

“There is clear and undeniable evidence that alcohol misuse affects not just the drinker, but it can have a devastating impact on the health and wellbeing of the people around them. In Australia, alcohol misuse has been found to be a factor in almost 20,000 substantiated cases of child abuse (in 2006/07) and in over 24,000 cases of domestic violence every year,” Mr Wilson says.

The Australia and New Zealand operation started on Friday, 17 December 2010 and ends on Sunday, 19 December 2010. It involves overt and covert licensing operations, random breath testing, mounted police, dog squad and additional police patrols.

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