Applications for bottle shop security guards to apply to carry OC spray while on duty are now open, the Lawler Government has announced, while unruly pub-goers could face an increased fine of $880 – almost five times the present penalty – if they refuse to leave a licensed venue, as part of a long-delayed effort to “reduce crime and anti-social behaviour” in bottle shops and pubs.

The update on the capsicum spray and the new fine measures were announced on Monday, more than a year after the Labor Government promised to deliver “immediate action” to keep the community safe, including security being armed with pepper spray, following the fatal stabbing of bottle shop worker Declan Laverty.

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