Oh what a night: Gangsters, dancing and cops

It’s 1am at The Hood bar in Hamilton, and a single-file column of neon-vested police marches through the sweaty throng towards the back wall.

The officers fan out, fold arms and stare down from an area slightly raised above the dance floor – a show of force completely at odds with the young man twirling his girlfriend around, and two gyrating young women.

After a couple of minutes, the officers fall into rank again and file out – this time coming to a halt in Victoria St near the bronze statue of Gallipoli war artist Sapper Horace Moore-Jones. From there, they keep watch on the bar’s drop-off point, where taxis spew forth carloads of partygoers.

As Friday night turns into yesterday morning in Hamilton’s entertainment hub, the police presence is aimed at what they say is a problem area. They also plan to oppose The Hood’s liquor licence, which is currently up for renewal. Alcohol harm prevention officer Jim Kernohan agrees police ‘‘are aware there are gang members, or associates of gang members that frequent that bar’’.

Police files show patrons of The Hood were apprehended for drunkenness offences 69 times last year – more than any other bar in the country. They admitted consuming their last drink in the bar before being picked up.

Inside, there are few denying the bar’s underworld attraction.

Flight-school students Tom and Sam are there for the ‘‘the best music in Hamilton’’ and ‘‘good vibes’’, although Sam, from the UK, sums up the main difference between The Hood and his homeland’s hang-outs in a single word: ‘‘gangsters’’.

Bar owner John Lawrenson says the 600-odd crowd that turns up on a weekend night is largely wellbehaved but admits a small percentage do cause problems.

‘‘There is a crowd of people who want to come to town, who want to cause trouble and unfortunately in Hamilton quite a few of those people have gang associations and we fight an ongoing battle keeping that crowd under control.’’

The venue’s wide range of music attracts a varied clientele, he says.

The Hood has never been prosecuted for any breach of licence, bar staff toil hard to keep an eye on patrons’ drinking and more emphasis ought to be put on supermarkets and off-licences.

‘‘Where they have had their last drink is irrelevant. Police record every incident. If someone breaches a liquor ban outside the bar, that goes down as an incident with that bar. People who have been taken out and found to be in breach of bail conditions – that has nothing to do with the bar itself.’’

Back at The Hood, the dance floor is filling up and the police presence is long forgotten. Three friends – Capri, Fiona and Toots – say they have never encountered any problems there and are more interested in finding Capri a man than a night of drinking.

‘‘He needs to be six-foot-three, and making money,’’ Toots says. ‘‘He can be anything, he could be a stripper, as long as he’s got the money.’’

Toots reckons they’ll be there all night.