NSW govt to stay tough on pub violence

The NSW government says it will not back down on tough measures to keep pubs and clubs safe, with figures showing the number of assaults in the most violent premises has declined.

A report by the NSW Bureau of Crime and Statistics and Research (BOSCAR) examined the effect of the government's restrictions on the 48 most violent licensed premises, which began in December 2008.

The conditions include a 2am lockout time, plastic cups after midnight, a restriction on the number of drinks bought after midnight and the ending of alcohol service 30 minutes before closing time.

The number of assaults declined at the 48 premises where the restrictions were imposed, but the drop was not exclusive to these premises and did not coincide with the implementation of the restrictions, BOSCAR says.

The research found the number of assaults at the 100 most violent licensed premises had generally been declining since about March 2008, when BOSCAR publicly listed the 100 most violent pubs and clubs.

The statistics showed that assaults in the top 100 most violent premises peaked at around 200 incidents per month in late 2007 but had fallen to 100 incidents per month by June this year.

"The drop began before the restrictions were imposed. It continued but didn't accelerate after the restrictions were imposed," BOSCAR director Don Weatherburn told reporters on Thursday.

"So from our point of view some combination of heightened publicity and tougher enforcement action is what's responsible for the drop in assaults in licensed premises in the top 100."

NSW Deputy Police Commissioner Dave Owens said tougher enforcement together with the restrictions and the "shaming" of pubs by publicly listing their assault rates had contributed to the decline.

"The community is actively working with us to say, 'We don't want anti social behaviour, we don't want drunks punching on in the streets outside our premises, inside our licensed premises,'" Mr Owens told reporters.

"Therefore they're fully supportive of the police and, I believe, the regulations that are being brought in."

Mr Owens said police would continue to work with the industry to keep people safe.

"I'm not taking my foot off any accelerator and I make no apology for that."

Police Minister Michael Daley said the tough restrictions were necessary.

"There will be absolutely no easing off on those restrictions," he said.

"We are determined to make sure that young people and families can go out and have a good night without being accosted by a drunken idiot."

Australian Hotels Association NSW chief executive Sally Fielke said licensees could take credit for the decline.

"We would attribute this to the hard work that licensees have put in in terms of being extra vigilant on staff training, additional responsible service of alcohol measures and other proactive initiatives," Ms Fielke told AAP.