ZERO TOLERANCE: Arrests, 14 liquor ban notices around Bundy
Police share details of New Year’s Eve shift and how revellers behaved ringing in 2021.
Bundaberg
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While the number of revellers ringing in the new year may have been fewer than usual, police were still kept busy on Thursday night.
Acting Inspector Michael McGarry said there were officers from Bundaberg and Bargara Police, the Road Policing Unit and the Wide Bay Tactical Crime Squad working the New Year’s Eve shift.
He said generally people were well behaved in Bundaberg and police thanked them for that, but unfortunately there were still some arrests for public nuisance-type offences, drink driving, and a drug driving offence.
“We issued 14 liquor banning notices in and around our licensed premises – that’s quite high but it does indicate that we take a zero-tolerance approach to alcohol-fuelled violence for nuisance type behaviour in and around our licensed premises,” he said.
He said public nuisance-type offences could be issues for behaviour that was offensive, threatening, violent or abusive either in licensed premises or in the vicinity of licenced premises.
“It’s designed to prevent a situation escalating,” he said, while reminding to the community alcohol-fuelled violence would not be tolerated.
Acting Inspector McGarry said they expected the night would be somewhat subdued given the tough year it had been for everyone.
But there were still plenty of party-goers out on the town to see the new year in.
“I guess that indicates a level of optimism around the community as well, that hopefully 2021 will be a better year than 2020 for us,” he said.
“We thank the public for the behaviour they displayed ringing the new year in, unfortunately there were some banning notices and arrests made.
“That’s disappointing; but it does, as I say, indicate that we want people to be safe when they are out and about in public place and when they’re in and around out licensed premises.”
He said they made no apologies for that and those who had been issued notices to appear or were arrested would have their time in court.
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