Halifax police are crediting a new safety strategy for a significant drop in bar fights downtown.

In June 2012, Halifax police implemented the Downtown Safety Strategy, targeting patrols between midnight and 5 a.m. on Thursdays through Saturdays, and on Sundays of long weekends.

“When people are intoxicated, they’re more prone to become instigators of violence or even victims of violence,” says Halifax Regional Police Const. Pierre Bourdages.

“Yeah, that’s fantastic,” says Halifax resident Sean Morton. “My mom always said nothing good happens after 11, and if they’re putting more people out after 12, that should be taking care of it. At least there’s more of a presence there.”

The strategy involves beat officers wearing traffic vests to increase their visibility and actively engaging in conversations with the public, bar patrons and staff.

Police officers also conduct walk-throughs of licensed establishments to address assaults occurring inside.

“We’ve seen a drop of 52 per cent in the serious assaults,” says Bourdages. “Serious assaults are the assault causing bodily harm, assault with a weapon, aggravated assault.”

The number of public intoxication reports in the same area dropped 16 per cent. The statistics compare numbers from the past year to the average over the previous five years.

Halifax bar owner Victor Syperek says he has noticed more officers walking around in the evening and talking to patrons.

“I do notice that we had a trouble spot next door and I do notice the police are there at night and I haven’t noticed any trouble in a while,” says Syperek.

Police say the initiative hasn’t cost the city any extra, as the officers are already on duty in other areas, and simply move to the downtown core at midnight.

“It shows that when youuse police smarter that you can make real impacts,” says Halifax Mayor Mike Savage. “I also think it shows that as a collaboration with others, like the bar owners and the pass programs, that says we’re all in this together.”

Savage is expecting a report card next month on the mayor’s task force on crime.

Recommendations were made five years ago on how to address crime in the Halifax area and the report will look at what has been implemented, what is working, and how crime is changing.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Jacqueline Foster