Police Commissioner lays down law over drunken violence

The NSW Police Commissioner says that dealing with alcohol and its effects consumes about 70 per cent of a frontline police officer's time.

''That's dealing with an offender, a victim or a witness to a crime where alcohol was a factor,'' Andrew Scipione said. ''It's enormous.''

Estimates from the Police Association suggest that comes at a cost of more than $50 million in police salaries. Its contribution to assaults on police officers is equally significant.

Research published last year suggests that dealing with drunk people is the most dangerous part of frontline policing. Of the nearly 3000 assaults on police each year, seven out of 10 are related to alcohol.

Mr Scipione - a teetotaller - is a severe critic of Australia's drinking culture. ''As a nation, we need to fall out of love with the booze,'' he said.