Scott WeberThe latest Kings Cross and Sydney CBD assaults statistics, which show a huge decrease in violence, further highlight why it would be irresponsible to wind back the current alcohol laws.
The statistics released by the New South Wales Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research yesterday show a 45.1 per cent decrease in non-domestic assaults in Kings Cross since January 2014, and a 20.3 per cent decrease in the Sydney CBD Entertainment Precinct.
Emergency services workers across New South Wales, including the doctors, nurses, paramedics and police officers which form the Last Drinks coalition, welcomed the report.
A 45 per cent decrease in assaults in Kings Cross is simply remarkable.
How anyone with a conscience could advocate for the laws to be watered down after seeing these statistics is beyond me.
It would be completely irresponsible to look at watering down the current alcohol violence laws which have led to this huge decrease in assaults.
These laws are saving lives – there’s no doubt about that at all.
The statistics, while dramatic, don’t come as a real shock to emergency service workers in the area.
We’ve seen firsthand the difference the modest alcohol laws have made to the area. Our police, nurses, doctors and paramedics are being assaulted at work less often and they’re now afforded time to go back to looking after other emergencies.
Those against the modest restrictions can try to fudge the figures however they like. But the fact simply remains that our streets are now significantly safer than they were prior to the introduction of these modest laws.
We’ve got to look at the overall picture here – assaults are dropping dramatically as a result of the modest alcohol laws.
I trust the current Independent Review into the impact of Sydney’s alcohol measures is looking at these statistics, and clearly recommending that the measures which have resulted in the huge decrease in assaults stay as they are.
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