There seems to be an increase in the pub violence occurring in the Kings Cross district of Sydney. But licensees are insisting that they are not to blame, calling for authorities to act to decrease the prevalence of violence in the area.
 

Although establishments have a responsibility in how they serve alcohol, establishments insist they are not the root of the problem, which lead to the death of a young man in the area recently.
 

But are these licensees just passing the buck on something they should take responsibility for?  Well they claim that other problems such as a lack of reliable transport, mixing drugs and alcohol all contribute to the violence in the area.
 

While pub owners are calling for more surveillance in the area by the council installing more cameras, authorities have done even better by introducing increased police presence in the area on “party” nights, similar to the kind of policing used for special events. Authorities will also install additional cameras to monitor activities in the area. One of the other possibilities is the introduction of a reliable 24 hour transport service, so patrons are not left stranded in the area without transport, which leads to loitering and nasty incidents.
 

There are also a number of minors in the area that shouldn’t be, so parents also need to take responsibility and know where their children are especially at night. Pubs need to be vigilant in who they are serving, because these minors are getting their alcohol from somewhere. So publicans that are serving minors need to stop, as they face hefty penalties if they are caught, this includes fines for the workers, the owners and management of the establishment.
 

It may not be entirely fair to blame pub owners, as stats show that the violence is occurring not in the pubs themselves but rather outside them on the streets.
 

Theshout.com.au has more on the issue:
 

Licensed premises cannot be held responsible for violence in Sydney’s Kings Cross entertainment district, according to AHA NSW boss Paul Nicolaou, who has joined with a prominent Kings Cross publican in calling for greater CCTV coverage of the area and improved transport options.
 

 In a frenetic week of media coverage following a fatal assault on teenager Thomas Kelly last Saturday night, blame has swiftly been apportioned to venues serving alcohol in the area.
 

 But CEO of the AHA NSW, Paul Nicolaou, yesterday said inadequate CCTV coverage and transport options are the real cause of the problems.
 

 “It has been too easy to simply blame licensed premises for too long without any attention being paid to the very obvious problems in places like Kings Cross – problems with late night transport, pre-fuelling and people mixing drugs with alcohol in particular,” he said.
 

 Today City of Sydney Council announced an action plan for Kings Cross including major event-style policing on Friday and Saturday nights, increased Council powers to limit licences and a range of new transport measure with ‘sprint’ bus services between the Cross and Town Hall.
 

 Yesterday the City announced it would install within a month an additional six CCTV cameras it approved last March, taking the total for the area to nine.
 

 Andrew Gibbs, CEO of Solotel, proprietor of the Kings Cross Hotel, told TheShout that the problems in the area are all occurring outside licensed venues.
 

 “There are no Kings Cross venues on Level one or Level two of the NSW violent venues list – this would indicate the problems in Kings Cross are not occurring within venues but on the streets.
 

 “You always see a lot of underage kids on the streets, many of whom are obviously affected by alcohol or drugs.
 

 “Transport options are at best poor, which leads to frustration and violence particularly at taxi ranks.
 

 “The CCTV coverage in Kings Cross is very poor.  Police generally rely on footage from venues when investigating incidents that take place on the street.”
 

 In news just released, Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore is meeting with Paul Nicolaou to discuss new solutions including the possible introduction of 24-hour transport.
 

Source: http://www.theshout.com.au/2012/07/13/article/Dont-blame-pubs-for-Kings-Cross-woes-AHA/OVZIQSWQAO.html

 

Posted By Peter Cutforth