Dunedin bar owners and police are banding together to tackle bad behaviour and increased gang activity in the central city.
The Octagon Alcohol Group aims to make the Octagon an even safer place. Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
The Octagon Alcohol Group was formed late last year in a bid to make the central city safer and more enjoyable place for people to be.
It now means serious offenders can be trespassed for six months from all inner city bars as part of a blanket trespass notice.
Andre Shi owns Vault 21, Catacombs Nightclub, Prohibition Smokehouse and Deja Vu Eats, which are all in central Dunedin.
The group was aimed to make the Octagon an even safer place, he said.
"In the past ... violence happened, there's fights, increase of gang presence. At the same time potential drug dealing happening in the clubs as well."
His business was aimed to sell an enjoyable time, but safety was a priority, he said.
He was hopeful the blanket trespass notice would be a deterrent for bad behaviour, but said it wouldn't be used lightly.
Previously, one venue could kick out a patron who could then bar hop around different venues.
"But with this trespass collaboration with all the bars and police, if anyone wants to play up, anyone wants to cause a fight or any inappropriate behaviour, they will think twice. Because the consequences are a lot more serious," Shi said.
Dunedin police's alcohol harm prevention team leader, Ian Paulin, said all the bars and licensed premises in the Moray Place circle had signed up.
Sergeant Paulin said it followed two to three years with increased gang activity and subsequent sale of drugs in the central city, particularly in some licensed premises.
"That's something that the licensees and the duty managers don't want at all, so it's just empowering those groups to have some method of dealing with those people," he said.
"There's been the odd violent act, some sexual assaults, that type of thing, which would all come to our attention and the best way of dealing with that is obviously get the like-minded individuals together around the table and have a discussion."
Gangs didn't have an overt presence in the central city, but bar owners, staff, security and police could see them and wanted to work together solve the problem, he said.
Paulin has not ruled out some of the more unruly ones being turned out onto the streets.
"It's certainly a possibility. But then if they're in a public space, then that's the domain of the police to enforce. So we've got a liquor ban in the central city and we've got various tools that we can activate to keep the public safe and there'll be normal policing."
Dunedin City Council alcohol adviser and former police officer Kevin Meechan said some people were choosing alternatives to alcohol or mixing drinking and drugs.
"There's a lot more MDMA in town and there's a bit of methamphetamine. But the people who are out really late at night, it tends to be more the MDMA."
Meechan welcomed the collaboration.
Less than a block down the road from the Octagon is Albar.
Its manager, Grant Benson, said they signed up even though they close a bit earlier than other venues.
"Having that blanket situation means that really troublesome people can just be removed so that none of us have to deal with these people and also the general public don't have to deal with these people," Benson said.
"There will be no reason for them to come to town because they won't be allowed in anywhere."
He hoped other nightlife hotspots would consider a similar scheme.
"I think it should probably be replicated across the country actually in inner city areas where there's a group of hospitality premises that are in close proximity. I think it's good to have so that people don't feel like they're struggling with any issues or anything on their own. That there's a voice."
The Octagon Alcohol Group will meet every three months and is due to meet next Tuesday.
