Bar loses liquor licence
‘‘The majority of its patrons are not the problem . . . gangs in town are the major problem.’’
John Lawrenson
One of the country’s most notorious bars is set to lose its liquor licence.
Police objected to renewing The Hood’s licence after years of having almost every officer on duty in the Hamilton CBD lined up outside for hours each weekend night to stop trouble.
The Victoria Street bar will no longer be able to serve alcohol from April this year the district licensing board has decided. The decision, subject to appeal, comes as police data released to the Waikato Times under the Official Information Act shows that The Hood was the bar of choice among offenders.
According to Last Drink Survey data, between January 2016 and October 2017, 96 punters leaving The Hood were picked up by police. By that measure, the Hamilton hip-hop go-to is among New Zealand’s most notorious bars, equalled only by Tauranga’s Bahama Hut.
The survey tallies drinkers spoken to by police by bars named, whether or not the drinker is subsequently charged.
The board decided the police manpower cost was detrimental to Hamilton.
‘‘The rest of the city suffers due to the fact that the vast majority of police on duty are standing directly outside The Hood for over one hour on a Saturday and Sunday morning,’’ the board said in its decision, released on Thursday.
‘‘If the renewal of the licence is refused, there will no longer be large crowds gathering outside The Hood and therefore the likelihood of general disorder and violence will be significantly reduced.’’
The Hood is owned by Lawrenson Group. Chief executive John Lawrenson said he was surprised and disappointed.
Speaking from Melbourne, he said he had yet to read the report, but Lawrenson Group would possibly appeal.
The Hood bar never faced any sanctions for breach of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act, he said.
‘‘Given the current state of Victoria Street and the struggles that council is currently having to keep businesses even remotely interested in the area, is targeting the busiest nightclub in the city the right thing to be doing?
‘‘Only a few weeks ago, they granted a liquor licence to a strip club in Hamilton’s main street directly opposite what’s supposed to be a multimillion-dollar new theatre.’’
The Hood was set up as a rhythm-andblues and hip-hop bar. It had always been popular among the 18- to 25-year-old Maori and Pacific Island demographic, he said.
On a busy Friday night, the club holds 700 to 800 people, all of whom pay a $10 door charge.
‘‘Some Friday nights after 1.30am, The Hood can have as much as half of the customers in the whole central city. This popularity means it is statistically more likely that The Hood will feature in incidents over time,’’ Lawrenson said in evidence. The Hood’s hip-hop vibe also attracts the city’s gang fraternity, he said.
Lawrenson said security staff work with police to trespass any gang members who cause trouble. He’d told the Mongrel Mob that members weren’t welcome, but it was hard to identify those not wearing a patch, he said.
Most problems happened outside the bar at the end of the night, when patrons gathered on the street next to three of the city’s four late-night eateries.
‘‘The majority of its patrons are not the problem . . . gangs in town are the major problem and we are working incredibly hard alongside police to deal with this issue at the risk of our own safety.’’
Waikato police Inspector Kent Holdsworth told the board that policing demands in the CBD put extra pressure on staff in the city and priority of calls.
‘‘There is a clear causal nexus for alcohol-related harm and disorder as a result of the location of The Hood, which requires significant attention and police resources.’’
The Hood’s demographic was different to other bars and ranged from students to gang members, Holdsworth said.
Police provided data that showed between January 1, 2013, and June 30, 2017, there were 615 occurrences, including assaults and offences, specifically linked to The Hood.
‘‘And the vast majority involve disorderly behaviour, fighting or drunk/ detox incidents that occur between 11pm and 4am,’’ police stated in evidence.
In 2015, police implemented a tactical high-visibility policing plan in the CBD at weekends to reduce disorder and violence.
From 2.45am on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, police line the median strip of Victoria Street facing The Hood, stretching as far as The Bank.
Their job is to scan the large crowds, looking to quell any volatility or potential trouble. Eighty per cent of those gathering outside come from inside The Hood, Sergeant Lara Beisly said in evidence to the board.
On average, seven staff are stationed outside on Friday nights and 12 on Saturday nights, including a sergeant. A booze bus and prison van were typically parked nearby.
‘‘The Hood bar is a location that notes a significant increase in disorder, assaults and violence,’’ Holdsworth said.
In its decision, the board said it was concerned the rest of the city was suffering due to the volume of police being pumped into the city at weekends.
While gangs were often involved in assaults and violence, there is a general volatility in the late-night crowds in Victoria and Hood streets – and 80 per cent come directly from The Hood bar, the board noted in its decision.
‘‘Good order of the locality is likely to be increased by more than a minor extent by refusal to renew the on licence.’’
The Hood has up to three months to close its Victoria Street location, where it has been since March 2012.
Lawrenson said plans are under way for a hip-hop bar in Alexandra Street, set to open before the HSBC Sevens tournament over Waitangi weekend.