KEY POINTS:
For some time it has been obvious to police staff what the wider public are only now starting to realise.
That is that alcohol and its abuse are huge drivers of crime and violence.
Recently, 35 police area commanders from around the country met in Wellington.
It was their opinion that the abuse of alcohol and the violence arising from that are the main problems facing their communities.
They advised the deputy commissioners that there is a need for all government departments to work together at a national level to address the problem.
But at a national level there are differing messages on alcohol.
One department stresses a message of care that says, "It's not what we drink, it's how we drink". But another department seems to have the message that it's all right to get as drunk as you like as long as you have a sober driver.
Parliamentarians, too, must look at how their actions over the past decade have affected the situation.
In their voting involving alcohol legislation, MPs have been out of step with public opinion.
It is generally accepted through international research that greater availability of alcohol in a community creates greater alcohol-related harm in that community.
There is also a large body of research into the variety of controls on the availability of alcohol, and the effectiveness of each of these means in controlling alcohol-related harm.
The best national controls on alcohol availability and its use are its price, the legal purchase age and blood-alcohol levels for drivers.
But attempts to get Parliament to lower the blood alcohol level for drivers from 80mg per 100ml to 50mg were defeated a few years ago. Hopefully the renewed initiative to achieve this will meet with greater success.
At a local level the best proven controls on alcohol abuse and availability are restrictions on trading hours and outlet density.
Yet we see a proliferation of supermarkets and dairies licensed to sell alcohol.
And now they are vying for the opportunity to sell spirits, not content to sell just beer and wine.
It is also apparent that many supermarkets are selling their alcohol at below cost in order to entice patrons into their stores.
Alcohol is a disinhibitor-inhibitor and there is clear evidence that it is an aggravator for violent crime.
International evidence is that at least 47 per cent of all violent offenders have consumed alcohol before their offending.
From police statistics, it is apparent that levels of all recorded crime in New Zealand are dropping.
Between 1998 and 2007 there has been a decrease of 7.65 per cent in recorded crime. However, levels of recorded violent crime are rising.
Nationally the number of violent crimes recorded has risen 32 per cent.
It is also obvious that 24-hour licensing regimes and large numbers of bars grouped together are contributing to the rise in violence by attracting large numbers of young people into city central business districts throughout the country.
With the easy availability of alcohol, they become intoxicated in large numbers and suffer harm as a result.
Politicians at both a national and local level must make more effort to listen to their communities and enact the measures needed to address the causes of alcohol-fuelled violence.
* Inspector Rob Abbott is president of the Police Managers Guild.
