Police arrest 16 people during violence on Melbourne’s St Kilda Beach after booze ban introduction
Police have arrested more than a dozen people during violence on a Melbourne beach following the introduction of a permanent booze ban.
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Police have arrested over a dozen people during violence on Melbourne’s St Kilda Beach just one day after the introduction of a permanent booze ban.
A total of 16 people were arrested for a number of offences including assaulting police, criminal damage and drug possession on the popular foreshore, according to Nine News.
Police presence was heightened in the area last night as part of Operation Sandsafe, a Victoria Police initiative to crack down on crime following a string of violent incidents in the area.
They also conducted 123 searches from the light rail and charged one person with attempted robbery and another with possession of a knife.
As well as enforcing the ban, Victoria Police announced they would be conducting weapons searches around the area to further deter criminal behaviour.
The Port Phillip Council decided on Wednesday night to ban to consumption of alcohol on the St Kilda foreshore following a string of recent fights and assaults.
The ban will be in place for the warmer months, starting each year on November 1 and finishing on March 31.
Previous restrictions prevented drinking from 8pm until noon each day, but the new rule covers a full 24-hour period.
The council hopes the ban will reduce alcohol-fuelled violence in the area, after a wild mass brawl involving more than 100 youths broke out over the weekend.
Dramatic images from St Kilda on Saturday night showed injured youths lying on the ground receiving treatment while dozens of police officers tried to stop the violence.
According to police, one man was kicked while he was unconscious on the ground by 20 people and had his phone and wallet stolen — and his mate, who tried to intervene, was also injured.
Before last night’s events, Inspector Jason Kelly said the 24-hour alcohol ban will be a “game changer” for Victoria Police, noting “significant police resources” will be in place over the summer to deter criminal activity.
“On these hot nights, we have a lot of people down to this iconic beach,” he told reporters from the foreshore yesterday. “With large numbers of people come also comes some of the issues we’ve seen over the last month, and Victoria Police has zero tolerance towards anti-social behaviour and criminal behaviour. If you come down here to commit a crime, you can expect to be arrested.”
Dozens of extra CCTV cameras are set to be installed to catch anyone who may be breaking the law.
“Our message to anyone who’s coming down to St Kilda Beach planning to cause trouble is there are CCTV cameras in operation here, and they will be here over the whole of the summer.”
He said night-time is the main issue for violence, noting the problems usually start to occur after people have consumed too much alcohol.
“It’s shown in academic research that alcohol contributes to violence. That’s what we’ve seen down here over the last month and Victoria Police welcomes the decision by City of Port Phillip Council to ban alcohol on the beach.”
Victoria Police will provide a highly visible police presence in and around the St Kilda Foreshore. A designated area under the Control of Weapons Act has been declared from 4pm Thursday 6 December and concludes 4am Friday 7 December. The attached map shows the designated area. pic.twitter.com/HrZ0oHcpRA
— Victoria Police (@VictoriaPolice) December 6, 2018
While many praised the council for their decision, not everyone was impressed by the booze ban, with people taking to social media to share their frustrations.
Mayor Dick Gross said the council understands some residents feel the ban is unfair, but things have changed since the measure was last considered.
“Large crowds on the St Kilda foreshore have been causing trouble and trauma recently to people just enjoying a walk or at work,” he said in a council statement late on Wednesday.
Along with the ban, police will also increase their patrols of the area and will have the authority to conduct weapon searches.
Originally published as Police arrest 16 people during violence on Melbourne’s St Kilda Beach after booze ban introduction
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