Renewed call for early bar hours
Posted Dec 18, 2012 05:48:46 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The holiday season has Halifax’s newly-appointed police chief calling for downtown bars to have earlier closing times.
Chief Jean-Michel Blais says between the hours of 2 a.m. and 3:30 a.m., police see people who aren’t only inebriated, but tired as well.
“They get into a bit of conflict in the bar. It spills outside and we end up getting some of the unfortunate things we’ve seen – assaults and in some cases, deaths.”
He points to a Norwegian study which states that for every hour bars are open after 1 a.m., there is a 16 per cent increase in violent incidents.
However, Blais said changing bar hours is not just about policy.
“This is also a question on awareness. This is a question of having broader discussions with regards to the culture of alcohol and the consumption downtown.”
The chief says he’s talked with Justice Minister Ross Landry about the changes, but there needs to be more information before any decisions are made.
