THE State Government's top crime statistician says he may have to look at emergency department admission records rather than police data to determine the success of tough new alcohol laws because publicans have probably stopped reporting as much crime to police.
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Don Weatherburn, the head of the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, has cast doubt on claims by the Premier, Nathan Rees, that restrictions on 48 hotels with the worst records are working.
Mr Rees based his claim on assaults falling by more than 20 per cent in a year - from 2273 between December 2007 and January 2008, to 1793 between December 2008 and last January.
At the 48 hotels subject to 2am lockouts and other restrictions, assaults fell 56 per cent, from 393 to 174. Glass attacks were also down, from 61 to 40 statewide and from 15 to zero at the 2am lockout hotels.
But Dr Weatherburn said monthly assault figures were highly volatile, and "even if the recorded assault rate has fallen, it is entirely possible that the reason for the fall is that pubs anxious to avoid or remove restrictions on their licence have simply become less willing to report assaults to police".
"I think in the circumstances we're going to have to look at emergency department admissions for assault because the police figures might be too strongly affected by the top 50 list."
The part-owner of the Exchange Hotel in Darlinghurst, Peter Costello, whose hotel is on the list, said the assault figures were down only because the area has been swamped with police since the laws were introduced, not because of restrictions the Government has placed on establishments like his, including 10-minute drinking timeouts as well as 2am lockouts.
"Our turnover's down 35 per cent because of the legislation," Mr Costello said.
The Government confirmed at the weekend that it would introduce a star-rating system for pubs and clubs to assess how safe they were.
