NCJ Number
144579
Date Published
1993
Length
32 pages
Annotation
This study examines the effectiveness of using heightened enforcement intervention to reduce drunkenness and alcohol consumption by minors in New South Wales (Australia) pubs.
Abstract
The study hypothesized that there would be a reduction in the total crime rate over the 2-month period of intensified enforcement, as indicated by the number of arrests. The study also anticipated a reduction in the offenses of assault, malicious property damage, and offensive conduct, since these offenses are typically alcohol-related. The study used two levels of police enforcement of the liquor licensing laws: intensified enforcement (experimental group) and no enforcement (control group). Three time periods were measured: preintervention, intervention, and postintervention. The dependent variables were the total number of recorded offenses; the total number of arrests for all offenses; the number of recorded offenses for assault, malicious property damage, and offensive conduct; the number of arrests for these offenses; and the number of hospital admissions for assault-related injuries. Study findings did not support the hypotheses, leading the researchers to caution that the use of proactive policing strategies that target alcohol consumption may not always constitute the optimal use of police resources in New South Wales. 10 tables, 29 references, and appended supplementary information