Public disorder - Closing time needs review

There has been a 60% drop in assaults in Drogheda since the June bank holiday weekend as a result of gardaí rigorously enforcing the closing times specified in the licensing laws. They have been going into bars within minutes of closing time and ensuring that all patrons leave the premises.

Gardaí had been having problems with people leaving pubs and nightclubs, which had been closing around the same time. This was leading to queues for taxis and fast food, and in the alcohol-charged atmosphere some trouble became almost inevitable. Since the rigid enforcement of closing times, however, there has been a 42% drop in the number of public order incidents. In essence, this was much the same as what they found in New York when they adopted zero tolerance. After enforcing the more minor and mundane laws, there was a distinct drop in more serious crimes.

Could it be that the higher visibility of the gardaí in Drogheda is more responsible for a drop in public order offences, or is it the elimination of the volatile mix of people from the pubs and nightclubs emptying into the streets at the same time? This suggests the whole concept of closing time be re-examined.

In mainland Europe, there is a more open system. Closing is at the discretion of owners, so the pubs do not empty into the streets at the same time.

Our problems may be more about our regulations and the excesses they promote in relation to the time frame in which many people are rushing to consume too much alcohol.