
The trial suspension of lockouts and late-night booze restrictions in inner-city pubs and clubs did not lead to a spike in alcohol violence, but the Newcastle CBD is still a hotspot for such offences.
Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research figures for the year to September show the number of alcohol-related non-domestic assaults fell from 253 in pre-COVID 2019 to 207 in 2022 in the Newcastle, Newcastle West and Hamilton postcodes.