Arrest numbers upset police

Police are not pleased with the result of the weekend trans-Tasman blitz on drunken violence.

There were too many arrests and too many violent incidents, New Zealand Police Assistant Commissioner Viv Rickard said today.

"Success, for police, would be having a weekend free from public drunkenness, from young people being arrested for breaching liquor bans, from public place violence fuelled by alcohol and from family violence incidents where alcohol is a factor," he said.

"Sadly that wasn't the case this weekend. There were too many arrests and too many violent incidents where people were affected by alcohol."

Operation Unite was the first time police from both sides of the Tasman had joined together for such a comprehensive and coordinated action.

The operation was launched to demonstrate the resolve of police to change both countries' culture of binge drinking in public places, and the ensuing violence, and to challenge the drinking public to take greater responsibility for their conduct.

During the blitz - which began at 6pm on Friday and ended 6pm Sunday - police across Australia and New Zealand deployed 9715 officers, made 2785 arrests, recorded 567 assaults and recorded 1281 licensing breaches.

"This does not paint a very good picture about the way we are conducting ourselves," Mr Rickard said.

" Alcohol-fuelled violence is one of the most pressing social challenges of our time. It is costing us millions of dollars each year and shattering many young lives and, quite frankly, police on both sides of the Tasman have had enough of dealing with this dangerous culture of binge drinking in public places and the aftermath."

Mr Rickard said alcohol had an impact on many aspects of policing, including violent offending, homicides, drink driving, family violence incidents, accommodating intoxicated people in police cells and incidents or offending involving young people.

"The 'drink to get drunk' culture cannot continue, or become the norm, and that is why we are taking decisive action. While we cannot arrest our way out of this problem, we agree there is a need for stronger policing."

However, Mr Rickard said the weekend could be considered a success in that it had helped to raise the Australian and New Zealand profile of the issues that police and society faced in regard to alcohol and offending.

- NZPA