http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/id-scanners-as-liquor/1502230.html
ID scanners as liquor control measures
Singapore authorities have visited other cities to observe alcohol regulations, to craft new liquor control measures in the Republic.
A customer goes through an ID check at the entrance of a club in Brisbane, Australia.
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<!-- /tab-gallery-area --> BRISBANE: New liquor control measures are set to be introduced in Singapore early next year. In crafting these measures, the Home Affairs Ministry conducted study trips to other cities to observe alcohol regulations there. A team from the ministry recently returned from visits to Sydney and Brisbane – both of which have strict regulations in place to minimise alcohol-related harms, while ensuring the industry continues to profit.
One measure authorities have found effective is the mandatory use of ID scanners in certain nightspots.
In some areas, these scanners are linked between venues so as to reinforce ban orders. In New South Wales, a person who has been charged or found guilty of an offence involving alcohol-related violence can be banned from high-risk premises.
In Sydney, ID scanners were made mandatory in 35 venues deemed high-risk in the Kings Cross area. Kings Cross is a popular entertainment precinct, and anyone who wants to enter the high-risk venues will have to produce ID to be scanned or they will not be allowed in. The 35 scanners are linked to a central system, which will alert staff and police if a person on the banned list tries to enter. The customer information is only accessible by the police, and not by the clubs.
In Brisbane, ID scanners are not yet mandatory but some clubs have implemented their own. The Beat Megaclub in Fortitude Valley sees its security officers scanning the ID of each person coming through. What is captured is the person's name, and picture. The club's operations manager said although the club has to bear the cost of the ID scanner, it has been worth it.
“People now feel safe,” said Rixon Grigor, the operations manager of Megaclub. “We’ve eliminated all the bad characters, bad influences, and so on, from the patrons. (The customers) love that.”
Incidents of people who try to use fake IDs or even other people's IDs to get in happen "fairly often", said another operations manager of a nightspot in Sydney. That is why security personnel have to inspect clubgoers' IDs carefully, he said. It is "not a foolproof system", but it has worked for them most of the time, he added.
- CNA/xq
ID scanners as liquor control measures
Singapore authorities have visited other cities to observe alcohol regulations, to craft new liquor control measures in the Republic.
[h=1][/h]
<noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript>
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<!-- /tab-gallery-area --> BRISBANE: New liquor control measures are set to be introduced in Singapore early next year. In crafting these measures, the Home Affairs Ministry conducted study trips to other cities to observe alcohol regulations there. A team from the ministry recently returned from visits to Sydney and Brisbane – both of which have strict regulations in place to minimise alcohol-related harms, while ensuring the industry continues to profit.
One measure authorities have found effective is the mandatory use of ID scanners in certain nightspots.
In some areas, these scanners are linked between venues so as to reinforce ban orders. In New South Wales, a person who has been charged or found guilty of an offence involving alcohol-related violence can be banned from high-risk premises.
In Sydney, ID scanners were made mandatory in 35 venues deemed high-risk in the Kings Cross area. Kings Cross is a popular entertainment precinct, and anyone who wants to enter the high-risk venues will have to produce ID to be scanned or they will not be allowed in. The 35 scanners are linked to a central system, which will alert staff and police if a person on the banned list tries to enter. The customer information is only accessible by the police, and not by the clubs.
In Brisbane, ID scanners are not yet mandatory but some clubs have implemented their own. The Beat Megaclub in Fortitude Valley sees its security officers scanning the ID of each person coming through. What is captured is the person's name, and picture. The club's operations manager said although the club has to bear the cost of the ID scanner, it has been worth it.
“People now feel safe,” said Rixon Grigor, the operations manager of Megaclub. “We’ve eliminated all the bad characters, bad influences, and so on, from the patrons. (The customers) love that.”
Incidents of people who try to use fake IDs or even other people's IDs to get in happen "fairly often", said another operations manager of a nightspot in Sydney. That is why security personnel have to inspect clubgoers' IDs carefully, he said. It is "not a foolproof system", but it has worked for them most of the time, he added.
- CNA/xq
