BALLARAT police yesterday said calls from licensees to increase late-night foot patrols to curb alcohol-fuelled violence was "shutting the gate after the horse had bolted".
Senior Sergeant Tim Argall agreed that a visible police presence was required to reduce anti-social behaviour in the central business district, but said it needed to work in conjunction with measures such as a 2am venue lockout to prevent the excessive drunkenness that often led to violence.
"We are looking at increasing patrols over the next few months but, to a degree, picking drunks up off the streets is shutting the gate after the horse has bolted," he said.
"Licensees would like to see foot patrols and we would like to do that where we can, but we need to stop people getting to that level of intoxication.
"It needs to be a joint effort."
Sen Sgt Argall said he did not wish to debate in the media the merits of a 2am lockout over the present 3am curfew, but said evidence from other regional centres where the 2am time was enforced suggested it was more effective
in reducing violent street crime.
"Hopefully it will reduce the movement of people between venues. It seems the later in the night the lockout, the more intoxicated they become," he said.
Shepparton police Inspector Ian Bull yesterday said both 2am and 3am lockouts had been trialled in his city's nightclub precinct, with the earlier time the preferred option for police.
"The 2am was more effective in terms of getting people off the streets at an earlier time and reduced calls for the services of police," he said.
He said alcohol-fuelled violence and criminal damage increased marginally when the time was pushed back to 3am at the request of a licensee.
"There hasn't been a major increase, but we have noticed more people on the streets. From a policing point of view, our statistics have shown the 2am was better in terms of community safety."
Bendigo police Inspector Bob Simpson described a 3am curfew as "useless" and said concerns that a flood of people trying to gain entry to licensed venues before 2am would create further violence proved unfounded in his city.
The proposal for a 2am lockout in Ballarat will be raised again at the Liquor Accord meeting next month.
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