By TANIA PHILLIPS
BYRON Bay is often seen as a hot-spot for trouble on New Years Eve but local police and Byron Shire Council are getting in early.
Tweed/Byron Local Area Command duty officer Inspector Greg Jago said Byron Bay Police would be implementing a number of strategies on New Year’s Eve to ensure a family-friendly event.
These include:
* A designated area in which all alcohol will be prohibited and anyone found with alcohol within this area will have it confiscated.
* All licensed premises will be conducting ticketed events only, meaning that only people who pre-purchase tickets will be able to attend these events.
* Police will be targeting street camping and noise complaints.
Inspector Jago said police would use all powers available to them to make sure people doing the right thing have an enjoyable New Year’s Eve.
“A lot of planning goes into these types of events” he said.
“We want families to feel safe to come to Byron Bay and enjoy the festivities.
“We don’t want to stop people from having a good time, we just want them to do it in a safe and responsible manner and get their year off to a good start.
“However, we will be targeting any troublemakers and using the full force of the law to prosecute them,” Inspector Jago added.
