15 March 2006

Pratt wants police in the pubs - as drink-spiking crash-test dummies

| johnboy
Join the conversation
5

Steve Pratt has put out a media release noting that of 65 reported drink spikings in the last year (down from 80 in the previous year) four (with possibly one more to come) had been confirmed.

8% genuine seems about right. Moving on Steve has a plan to combat this scourge, one our police readers might be quite keen on.

“More undercover police operations are needed to apprehend drink spiking offenders; such an operation serves a dual purpose if any other offence is committed during the surveillance.”

Triple purpose if our diligent constabulary are to maintain a convinving cover surely? Steve’s been trying to ingratiate himself with the boys and girls in blue for a long time but has he hit on a winner here?

Join the conversation

5
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest

I heard that in QLD UQ did a survey of all the alleged drink spiking incidents and found all of the allegations were false – the girls were just too drunk! Not that it doesn’t happen, I reckon we need some changes to ‘revenue focussed’ liquor laws so that you don’t have to buy ‘open’ drinks. If I buy a drink for a girl and deliver it to her with the lid on I think thats better than taking the lid off behind the bar.
As for undercover cops I think that is a waste of time and money. Get them to hand around the streets, for any drink spiking to occur I guess you have to go on the street with the victim don’t you? No harm in taking down details of guys carrying some chick out of a pub. Unless they suspect a location or certain people then hanging around our nightspots is not a fun thought.

Its not difficult to go to the bar, buy your drink and drink it. I don’t understand how this can actually happen, unless of course your stupid enough to leave your drink sitting there or let some random buy it for you.

Quite often the problem is getting people to identify which one, of the 32 drinks they had, was ‘spiked’

I think that 4 confirmed drink spiking reports out of 65 hardly constitutes a big issue.
I would think that resources would be better used targetting the binge drinking that leads to people claiming to have been drink-spiked. It seems that people are drinking to excess and then using the excuse of drink-spiking. Sure there are genuine cases, but I’ve had mates claim drink-spiking when they haven’t coped with their usual 10 schooners.
Shouldn’t liquor licensing be monitoring licenced premises more closely? Doesn’t it have something to do with the responsible service of alcohol?
If the police don’t have the resources, put it back on the group in charge of licencing pubs and clubs.

A clumsy use of language. Undercover operations means no-one knows you’re a cop. Methinks he means plain clothes operations.

Give us some more Police and we may be able to do something, but you can’t expect more and newer expansive operations from an organisation thats already stretched beyond its current resources.

* Personal not professional opinion *

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.