POLICE Australia wide will take the hard line when it comes to alcohol related crime this weekend.
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NSW Police Commissioner, Andrew Scipione, has warned there will be little tolerance for alcohol-related crime and anti-social behaviour during the two-day police crackdown known as Operation Unite.
This time last year 209 people were charged with 381 offences in NSW.
That figure was down on the previous year’s result.
NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione hoped the downward trend would continue.
He said the latest Police figures show non-domestic violence-related assaults involving alcohol dropped 14.8 per cent in the 12 months ending October, 2012.
Despite the improvements, the Commissioner is still concerned about the level of violence encountered by police, particularly over the hotter months.
“I do not want to sound like a party pooper but when a lot of our work at night is dealing with people drunk and breaking the law, we have to do something about it,” he said.
“Summer is upon us and that is the busiest time of the year for police, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights, as people go to Christmas parties or celebrate the end of school.
“It is pleasing to see the message is getting through to many people. But we can’t stop now and rest on our laurels.
“We owe it to the people of New South Wales to get drunken criminals off the streets.”
The Commissioner said police had a duty of care also especially to Australia’s youth.
“It’s heart-breaking to see young teens roaming the streets of our cities and towns in the middle of the night, full to the gills with alcohol,” he said.
“Our officers constantly care for young people who collapse on the streets and black out due to drunkenness.
“In many cases, parents don’t know where their children are?or just don’t care.”