Extra hotel patrols

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33408, 14 December 1973, Page 2

Extra hotel patrols

Extra patrols to enforce the licensing laws and preserve law and order in Christchurch hotels will be made by it he police during the Commonwealth Games. “There has been some confusion after the unsuccessful attempts to get hotel hours extended for the Games,” said the executive officer for the Canterbury Hotel Association (Mr S. S. Phillips) after a meeting yesterday of the association and representatives of the Bolice and Hotel Workers’ nion.

“Some people think there will be open slather on extended hours permits or that the police will turn a blind eye to infringements of the licensing laws. “The police made it clear that everyone will work within the law, and the hotel managers are delighted at their promise to help to keep order,” said Mr Phillips. "If hotels get very, very crowded we might look at the possibility of finishing entertainment earlier so that hotels can be cleared in an orderly manner on time.”

The police have already said that applications for extended hours permits will be closely scrutinised so that only bona fide applicants will be granted them. The permits are looked at by the local licensing committee and granted by a Magistrate. The police advise on the merits of the appiications.

The commander of the Christchurch police district (Chief Superintendent G. Tait) said he expected some trouble at hotels and he hoped the extra patrols would act as a deterrent to some of the more unruly. If there were any infringements of the liquor laws, prosecutions would follow, said Mr Tait.