Summary
Abstract
Evidence suggests that licensed premises are often associated with alcohol-related harm, particularly violent crime. However, not all licensed premises appear to be equal contributors to alcohol-related problems in the community. This paper examines the distribution of harmful outcomes across licensed premises in three inner-urban areas of NSW. Police-recorded assault incidents on licensed premises in inner Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong over a 2-year period were analysed. In inner Sydney 12% of hotels and nightclubs accounted for almost 60% of all assaults at hotels and nightclubs, in inner Newcastle 8% of licensed premises accounted for nearly 80% of all assaults on licensed premises and in inner Wollongong 6% of licensed premises accounted for 67% of all on-premises assaults. The analysis also found that assault incidents on licensed premises were concentrated late at night or early in the morning and on weekends. Licence types identified as being the most problematic for violence on licensed premises were hotels and nightclubs. In particular, hotels with extended or 24-hour trading recorded a greater number of assaults compared with those trading standard hours. The implications of these findings for crime prevention and law enforcement strategies are discussed.