Extending booze time a ‘burden’

A FORMER top cop says 24hour liquor licensing would burden already busy police during the Commonwealth Games.

Ex-bikie-busting Superintendent Jim Keogh said roundthe-clock liquor licensing would pose a challenge for officers, but he believed they were up to it.

Mayor Tom Tate has called for a three-month trial of 24/7 boozing, based around the Games.

Commonwealth Games Minister Kate Jones has met with various stakeholders about the issue and a decision by the State Government on the trial is expected soon.

“It will be challenging resource-wise for police and in particular people in charge of transport and the venues,” Mr Keogh said. “It’s definitely an added burden.

“Resources are spread quite thin for the Games (and) on top of (that) you need continual transport and you have to deal with situations where people are ejected (from venues) and it’s best to have them leave the precinct.

“With the Gold Coast being in an international spotlight, the Coast needs to be remembered for all the right reasons and not the wrong reasons like assaults and robberies.”

Mayor Tate said he was “fully supportive of the trial”.