Valley police boost gets thumbs up

News

The Valley Liquor Accord has praised Premier Anna Bligh for finally listening to the calls of more police in entertainment hot spots to curb alcohol-fuelled violence.
VLA chairman Danny Blair said this week the VLA had been championing this type of government action for months and “finally they’ve listened”.
“We had very few problems during Valley Fiesta weekend when we have the biggest saturation of people in the Valley and it's purely because there are more police on the beat,” Mr Blair said.
“It’s been this rationale that we have been using to plead for more police on the streets in the Valley entertainment precinct. “The police are always welcome in the Valley and the more visible presence of blue uniforms, the better.
“What we need after this blitz is to increase police numbers that work in the Valley on Friday and Saturday night on a full-time basis.”
News of the ongoing police crackdown have come as the VLA joins forces with key stakeholders in the Valley Entertainment Precinct to make Queensland’s music scene a safer and a more enjoyable place to socialise. The Your Playground. Play Nice, Play Safe campaign incorporates several new initiatives that will be extensively advertised and promoted with the backing of DRUG ARM, the Brisbane City Council, Valley Chamber of Commerce, Valley Malls Advisory Committee, Queensland Health and Black and White Taxis.
The campaign includes a drug awareness and prevention trial by DRUG ARM in early 2010 and all 29 (5am) VLA licensees have committed to participate in Queensland Health’s Safer Venues campaign which will enter its fourth year in 2010.
The VLA has also provided additional assistance to ChaplainWatch and is encouraging the roll-out of ID scanners in VEP venues in late 2009 and early 2010 as well as banning people convicted of alcohol-related violence.
Mr Blair said licensees are committed to making the VEP a more enjoyable environment and expected the drug awareness and prevention trial to be as successful as the initial Safer Venues campaign which is now cemented in the constitution.