Bar owners: Parents play big part in violent cocktail

With the spotlight shining on central Whangarei after the violent death in Vine St of Anaru Tamihana last month, and police raising the alarm after putting a blind-drunk 14-year-old girl in their cells to sober up, licensees say trouble in the city starts in the home and in the streets, not in their bars.
Des Wallace, owner and licensee at Bacio Bar on Bank St, has seen children as young as 12 in the central city at night.
"Probably the biggest problem is parenting. When I see young kids hanging out, my first thought is `where are your parents?' Their parents should be locked up."
Underage drinkers were not a big problem in central Whangarei. He said $20 in bar sales to a minor was not worth risking losing a liquor licence over.
"There's no commercial gain for letting in underagers."
He said laws prevented clubs and bars selling alcohol to drunk people of any age, but nothing stopped a person buying large quantities of alcohol from a wholesaler.
"They're talking about bringing the drinking age back to 20. But I think it'd be good if there was some way they could control the amount that 18- to 20-year-olds buy from a wholesaler, or increase the age to buy from a wholesaler," he said.
Ross Vickers, owner of Vine St's Danger Danger, agrees: "We deal with a lot of 18- to 20-year-olds and they're good customers."
If teens want to go out and enjoy themselves, he would rather see them safe inside a bar, with security guards and house rules.
"I've got children and, when they get to 18, I'd like to think they can go on to licensed premises rather than having to entertain themselves at a shed or a barn or a beach. That's where the big problems happen."
Mr Vickers splits the town's troublemakers into a four-part "bad cocktail" of street kids, street drinkers, intoxicated wannabe patrons and a small number of Danger Danger customers.
"I'm not suggesting our patrons are perfect but, in terms of problems in town, they are a minority," he said. "Those young kids in town, they are bad and they are dangerous and they tend to hide in dark corners. They are scary.
"People say what are the parents doing? Well there are no parents."
He says the police have limited powers over under-16s running riot.
The Whangarei CBD liquor ban - instigated by the Alcohol Accord nearly four years ago - works well as it covers all ages.
Street drinkers are drunk, drugged-up "scumbags" who come to town looking for a good time, said Mr Vickers, while the "non-patrons" usually misjudge the amount of alcohol they can have before turning up at the bar.
"All of a sudden they're standing at our front door saying `Now what do we do?'." Too boozed to get in, they often end up drinking in cars.
"Add to that some of our bad customers and you've got the fourth part of the cocktail," he said.
The hospitality industry cops too much flak for downtown drinking drama, he says, and cheap drink promotions aren't to blame: Danger Danger hasn't changed theirs in five years, with Friday evening two-for-one beer happy hours popular with an older, calmer crowd.
Mr Vickers says Whangarei's downtown police presence is erratic: "I don't think Whangarei's streets are safe enough. The police do a great job. My criticism is directed toward central government."
Danger Danger has run an 18-hour, 11am-5am licence since it opened five years ago. Mr Vickers can't recall a time when the bar has been open until 5am, and he sees no need to apply for a 24-hour licence.
Peter Briggs, owner and licensee at Heaven Bar, in Vine St, said youth problems in central Whangarei had been going on for a long time.
Mr Wallace would like to see stricter rules preventing young people loitering in town and carrying alcohol.
He wished young people would stay longer at school, had parents who were more concerned about them, played sport and learned discipline through military service.
Many young people were simply bored and had troubled upbringings which caused them to lack respect for others and others' property.
"It goes back generations."
LIQUOR BAN
? A permanent liquor ban is in force in central Whangarei city. It is illegal to consume alcohol in any public place within the CBD. The bylaw was toughened up last December to apply 24/7. Previously, the liquor ban stretched from Thursday evenings to Monday mornings and also included public holidays.
ALCOHOL ACCORD
? Whangarei Alcohol Accord is an open forum set up about four years ago to bring together key players to tackle issues surrounding alcohol.
? The group involves liquor retailers, sports clubs and chartered clubs, the Hospitality Association, Government agencies, police, councils, licensing authorities and health agencies, community and business groups.
? The accord provides training for alcohol retailers and bar staff, runs awareness campaigns and was involved in implementing the city's liquor ban. The group also fronts initiatives such as the Host Responsibility Award.
UNDERAGE SALES
? In a March "sting" involving Whangarei police, Northland Health and the Liquor Licensing Authority, two underage teenagers attempted to buy alcohol from 49 liquor retailers in Whangarei and Kaipara. A disappointing 13 outlets were willing to sell to the minors, and four outlets had their licences temporarily suspended as a result. Area Commander Inspector Paul Dimery said those outlets showed a "definite lack of social responsibility" as alcohol played a huge part in many crimes.