Yay for Wellington cops

Stuff reports:

A top policeman wants people banned from entering bars after 1am, but his call has divided police bosses.

Christchurch area commander Inspector Derek Erasmus also wants bars closed by 3am as police struggle to grapple with “a heaving, throbbing mass of drunkenness” on weekends.

But Wellington’s police bosses and the hospitality industry say it would be a disaster and would not deal with the drinking culture.

Yay. Great to have the local Police being sensible.

Wellington area commander Inspector Pete Cowan said a single law change would not deal with weekend drinking problems or the drinking culture generally.

He said Wellington police had looked at a one-way-door policy a few years ago but realised it would not work unless all 247 licensed premises in the city centre signed up to it.

“I do not want all the businesses to close at the same time. Thousands of people put out on the street at once, that would be absolute chaos.”

Absolutely. And many people don’t even hit town until midnight. A 1 am one way policy would mean you have to stay at the same place all night.