|
City bouncers put on notice
By NIGEL HUNT
11apr05
THE new police Licensing Enforcement Branch has taken action against 30 bouncers
and city entertainment venues in its first month of operation.
Most of the police action followed a focus on the Hindley St and Rundle St
entertainment strips during the Clispal 500 last month.
Officers from the unit converged on the precincts each night, reporting bouncers
and several venues for breaching licence conditions.
Licensing Enforcement Branch officer in charge, Chief Inspector Ashley Lange,
yesterday said police were disappointed with the number of people in the
security industry who "still were not aware of their obligations".
"Small things like name tags, maintaining a register of crowd controllers at
each venue, having a responsible person on duty at each licensed venue," he
said.
"While we were tolerant in cautioning a significant number of people who
breached regulations, we still had cause to take some firmer action. Individual
security people were reported and some establishments for breaches of licence
conditions."
The branch has a statewide focus on regulatory laws relating to all forms of
gambling, licensed premises, the security industry and vice laws. It was formed
following an internal review that identified the need for a co-ordinated and
proactive approach to policing the respective industries utilising new
legislation introduced this year.
Chief Inspector Lange effectively has put the state's hotels, nightclubs and
crowd controllers on notice more attention will be paid to their activities as a
result of the unit's initial operation.
"We have a snapshot of what is happening generally," he said. "There will be a
greater focus on the proactive aspects of this from now on. It will include site
inspections at various venues and major events, essentially wherever the crowds
are.
"Our intelligence suggests there are some venues that have behavioural and
management issues more so than others and we will pay attention to those.
"If there are serious breaches of the law we will deal with them swiftly."
Police also will pay more attention to outdoor functions and events that attract
large numbers of people, particularly where alcohol is available.
The unit also is responsible for enforcing new anti-fortification legislation,
aimed at preventing the construction of bikie fortresses.
