POLICING PUBS - WHAT HAPPENS TO CRIME

The aim of this study was to test the effect of heightened police enfo rcement of the NSW Liquor and Registered Clubs Acts on overall crimina l offences and, specifically, the number of assaults. Ten police patro ls were included in the study, Five of these patrols were allocated to the experimental condition and five were allocated to the control con dition. Beat police in the experimental controls conducted frequent bu t random visits to predesignated licensed premises over a 2-month peri od, Police in the control patrols maintained their normal duties, Numb ers of offences in the experimental and control patrols were then comp ared for 2 months before the intervention, for the 2-month interventio n phase and for 2 months post-intervention. Results of the study indic ated a significant increase in the number of offences in the experimen tal patrols during the intervention phase. Reasons for this increase a re discussed.