United to fight crime

POLICE arrested 16 people, nabbed six drunk drivers, and uncovered 12 liquor licence offences in Greater Dandenong during Operation Unite last Friday and Saturday nights.
Across Victoria they arrested 171 people as part of a blitz on drunken violence.
In Greater Dandenong officers made two “drunk arrests” on Friday night and 12 on Saturday night, one assault arrest on each night, and caught four drink drivers on Friday and two on Saturday.
They detected two liquor licence offences on Friday and 10 on Saturday in 72 licensed premises visits.
Statewide police made 108 drunk arrests and 33 assault arrests and detected 26 liquor licence offences and 22 drunk drivers.
Dalgarno Institute’s Drug and Alcohol Resource Team (DART) said the operation had successfully brought attention to the damage that alcohol and drug-fuelled abuse caused, particularly during the festive season.
However, it said long-term strategies were needed to support such initiatives to truly change Australia’s binge-drinking culture.
It suggested ongoing media campaigns, raising the legal drinking age to 21, a minimum price for alcohol, and restricting access to alcohol.