Crackdown on alcohol-fuelled crime

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A cultural change is necessary to change New Zealand and Australian binge drinking habits, but firmer police enforcement is a step in the right direction, police say.

Police commissioners from Australia and New Zealand met in Perth today to launch a united stand against drunken violence.

Police said they had "had enough" of the dangerous binge drinking culture in both countries.

They were planning a series of crackdowns against alcohol-fuelled crime and antisocial behaviour, with the first on the weekend of December 11 and 12.

The commissioners hoped the blitz would demonstrate their resolve to change the binge drinking culture and challenge people who drink to take greater responsibility for their conduct.

However, they believed enforcement was only part of the solution.

"While legislation and enforcement are key...changing the drinking culture is crucial," Commissioner Howard Broad said.

"The `drink to get drunk' culture cannot continue, or become the norm, and that is why we are taking decisive action. While we cannot arrest our way out of this problem, we agree there is a need for stronger policing."

All the commissioners believed it was not just a case of stopping the violence, he said.

"We need to find out why it is happening in the first place and start looking at the long-term issues to ensure that these factors don't influence future generations."

Victoria police chief commissioner Simon Overland said a cultural change and better licensing regulations were needed in addition to stronger enforcement.

"We all share the belief that more can, and must, be done to tackle the dangerous binge drinking culture which has developed among our younger generations.

"Alcohol-fuelled violence is one of the most pressing social challenges of our time.

"No state or territory is immune to this problem. It is costing us millions of dollars each year and shattering many, many young lives."

Alcohol-related crime costs annually costs New Zealand $1.1 billion and Australia $2.14 billion.

In New Zealand a third of crimes in 2007-2008 were carried out by a person affected by alcohol.

In serious offences, such as homicides, it was about half of cases.

In Australia alcohol caused about 3000 deaths and 65,000 hospitalisations each year, police data showed.

- NZPA