POLICE Commissioner Gary Burns wants late night drinkers banned from bar hopping an hour earlier by setting Adelaide’s pub-and-club lockout at 2am.

But the hotel industry says changes to the 3am lockout would likely provoke opposition from traders, many of whom say their businesses have already suffered since the 3am lockout came into force in October, 2013.

Mr Burns blamed “preloading”, or getting drunk at home before going out, for the prevalence of violence and said it’s impact could be further reduced by starting the lockout at 2am.

He told The Advertiser on Tuesday that police had contributed to the Government’s current review of the Late Night Code, which police say had led to an 11 per cent drop in violent assaults.

“Personally, I’d take the lockout one more hour back, to two o’clock,” Mr Burns told a parliamentary committee.

“We know the lockout has made a difference. If you talk to police officers in Hindley St, their comment is that what they have really noticed is less aggression in the street and a far better environment to work in.”

The lockout prevents patrons from entering venues after 3am and anyone who leaves a pub or club after that time cannot re-enter.

A Government review of the Late Night Code involving police, the hotel and restaurant industries and community leaders is under way.

Under the current code, licensed venues are also banned from serving shots, free-drink promotions, or glassware in pubs and clubs after 4am, while drink marshalls, CCTV and metal detectors are required.

Mr Burns said when clubs had closed at 2am in the past, young people would generally get to venues by 8pm, leaving less time to preload.

“The way you look at it is, generally, young people go out for entertainment for around about a six-hour period,” Mr Burns said.

“When you have 24-hour drinking, you don’t have to go out until midnight, so that means when you do go out at midnight you come into the city preloaded, because of cheaper drinks at home or at a friend’s place between 6pm and midnight, so you’ve already got an issue with alcohol.

“Once you hit the clubs, yes, the drinks are expensive, but you only need one or two to top you up and you are into that realm where you may become the victim or you may become the assailant.”

Australian Hotels Association SA general manager Ian Horne said he had seen “absolutely no evidence” that the lockout time should be brought forward.

“The 3am lockout really only affected businesses in the city, but bringing it back to 2am would impact on venues in suburban areas and regional centres (whose current closing hours meant they had not been affected by the 3am lockout),” he said.

“It would cause a whole level of tension for no good reason. The reason the Late Night Code has worked so well is because of the cooperation between police, businesses and the people regulating it (Government inspectors) and that would be lost.

“The lockout arrangements have worked well, but that doesn’t mean that some individual businesses haven’t had difficulties or needed to restructure.”

But Mr Burns said violence was associated with the ability for people to consume excess alcohol.

“So my view, winding it back one more hour, the traders might not like it, but I’m not really worried about their profits: I’m more worried about the safety of the community,” he said.

Prominent Adelaide property owner Theo Maras said would support a push to make the lockout earlier because it would strike a better balance between the entertainment, residential and commercial aspects of the city.

He said one option could be to create entertainment precincts, such as Hindley St, which could have special conditions such as later lockouts.

Club operator Driller Jet Armstrong, who put Rundle St nightspot Sugar on the market on April, said it seemed like the police were just keen on having an early night.

“Adelaide night-life is in ruins already so this is another great initiative from the party police, again restricting the movement of people who have done nothing wrong,” he said.

Late Night Venue Association spokesman Tim Swaine said members believed a lockout of any type was “bad” policy.

“Any further limit on trade would be premature and is unsupported by evidence,” he said.

“Our members are concerned that a 2am lockout could encourage patrons to drink more in a shorter time period.

“Further, a 2am lockout risks diminishing investor confidence in late night venues and would be another crippling blow to an already soft SA economy.”

Attorney-General John Rau said the Government intended releasing the review findings shortly.

“No decisions about policy changes have yet been made,” he said.

Opposition spokesman Rob Lucas said the Liberal did not support changing the lockouts to 2am.

“We will wait for the Government’s review before forming a final view but there needs to be a sensible balance between public safety and people young and old enjoying themselves,” he said.