Official Sydney lockouts data could be wrong

Sydney's lockout laws are under fresh scrutiny after statistics showing a reduced amount of assaults since they were introduced might not be accurate.

The Star casino, which controversially lies just outside the lockout zone, has been accused of not reporting a large percentage of violent incidents at the venue in a leaked document from a regulating body.

This would have contributed to official data since the lockouts' introduction, which is gathered from police incident reports and cited by the government as a positive indicator for the laws, being largely skewed.

New South Wales Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research is planning to launch a new study after reporting the increase in assaults at the casino since the lockouts were introduced was "fairly small" earlier this year.

The NSW government introduced the 1.30am lockout and 3am last drinks laws for central Sydney in February 2014 saying they were aimed at reducing street violence.

A host of Sydney's most well-loved clubs have been forced to close their doors since their introduction as they struggle to cope with the restrictions.

An official review into the laws recommended the lockouts be pushed back to 2am recently but the government is yet to respond to the findings.

[Via: Sydney Morning Herald]