A transtasman crackdown on alcohol-related crime led to 68 arrests in Northland at the weekend.
Operation Unite is the first joint operation of its type between New Zealand and Australia and the blitz kicked off on Friday night with a new focus on people arriving in town after getting drunk at home.
The operation was launched to demonstrate the united resolve of commissioners to change Australia and New Zealand's culture of binge drinking in public places, and the ensuing violence, and to challenge the drinking public to take greater responsibility for their conduct.
Over the blitz - which began at 6pm on Friday and ended 6pm Sunday - there were 79 officers deployed across Northland, making a total of 68 alcohol-related arrests.
Northland police Operations Manager Inspector Murray Hodson showed 55 licensed premises were checked, which led to eight licensing breaches and seven liquor infringements being discovered.
There were 21 alcohol-related arrests, 10 assaults and 20 drivers nabbed drunk.
Mr Hodson said it was "a typical weekend in Northland".
"There is a culture in New Zealand of drinking to get drunk. The violence occurring on the streets is becoming more violent and is putting police in a vulnerable position," Mr Hodson said. "Alcohol is a major driver of crime."
Police were also concerned at the increase in women and young people involved in alcohol-related crimes.
Mr Hodson said while police were tied up processing people for alcohol-related crime it could delay them from attending other more urgent jobs.
Police across Australia and New Zealand together deployed 9554 officers, made 2991 arrests, recorded 472 assaults and 1681 licensing breaches during the two-day operation.
In New Zealand, the total crime cost due to harmful alcohol and drug use is estimated at $1.1 billion. This includes costs to the victims of crime, the use of police resources, court-related costs and prison.
Assistant Commissioner Viv Rickard said success for police would be having a weekend free from public drunkenness, from young people being arrested for breaching liquor bans, from public place violence fuelled by alcohol and from family violence incidents where alcohol is a factor.
"Sadly that wasn't the case this weekend. There were too many arrests and too many violent incidents where people were affected by alcohol."
But the weekend could be considered a success in that it has helped to raise the profile of the issues in Australian and New Zealand that police and society face in regard to alcohol and offending.
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