Bali Police Call For Cooperation With Nightlife Venues To Deal With Drunken Tourists

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Police in Bali have spoken out about the ‘brutal’ behavior of some tourists on the island. As the high season approaches, Bali’s tourism sector is preparing to welcome hundreds of thousands more tourists eager to have fun in the sun.

Some, however, take things too far, and on all too many occasions, tourists enjoying a few laid-back sunset beers can quickly descend into drunken disorder. 

The Head of Public Relations for Badung Police, Inspector Putu Sukarma, has spoken to reporters about the types of incidents officers are called out to in Bali’s leading nightlife areas. Inspector Sukarma told reporters that reports include fighting, drunken disorder, and driving recklessly, including under the influence of alcohol.

He confirmed that Badung Police will continue to collaborate with nightlife venues in the area to monitor the behavior of tourists. He has called for nightlife venue teams to immediately call the police at the first sign of drunk or disorderly behavior from now on.

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Inspector Sukarma explained how teams will be deployed across the area to be best positioned to respond rapidly to reports of drunken tourists this high season and beyond. He noted, “The Badung Police Team, namely our patrol units, are collaborating with related agencies to conduct patrols.”

Badung Police teams oversee nightlife venues in Bali’s busiest tourism resorts, including Canggu, Uluwatu, Kuta, Legian, Seminyak, Nusa Dua, and Jimbaran. Inspector Sukarma called for the public, tourists, and nightlife teams to support the collective effort to increase security and public safety in the area. He concluded, “so that we can anticipate what actions can be taken so that the disturbance and so on can be minimized.”

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Inspector Sukarma’s comments come after reports hit headlines locally of an alleged assault by a foreign tourist against a female member of staff at Red Ruby nightclub in Seminyak. The incident is being investigated by Bali Police and has been the subject of much speculation across Bali-based social media accounts and forums. 

Tourists heading to Bali this high season are urged to party responsibly. As security teams on the islands are strengthening ties with local police, and as local police are increasing patrols in busy resort areas, tourists can expect to see more security presence at nightlife venues and for officers to be even quicker to respond to potential disorder.

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Leaders in Bali have been vocal about their commitment to a zero-tolerance approach to cultural disrespect and illegal behavior by foreigners visiting the island.

Whether it be immigration violations, theft, illegal driving, drunken behavior, fighting or engaging in scams, or out-and-out criminal activity, Bali is on a mission to ensure that public order is maintained and criminally inclined tourists are kept at bay. 

In fact, Bali’s Governor Wayan Koster has said that he wants authorities to show ‘no mercy’ to tourists found to be flouting the rules.

In statements issued earlier this month after an American tourist went on a drug-induced rampage in a local medical clinic, Governor Koster announced “[this is] momentum for me as Governor to take firm and tough action against foreign tourists who behave badly while in Bali Province.”

“So there is no mercy and we hope that the deportation carried out will be a lesson and a warning to all foreign tourists visiting Bali to obey the law, and respect Balinese culture and local wisdom.”

Tourists visiting Bali are also advised to be extremely cautious about consuming alcohol on the island, not only for its impact on behavior but also for health.

Methanol poisoning is a serious risk in Bali, as the Australian travel bureau, Smarttraveller, has even launched an awareness campaign to help inform tourists heading to top travel destinations in Southeast Asia, including Bali, about the potentially fatal implications of consuming drinks tainted with methanol.

Smarttraveler explains “As little as one shot of methanol can be fatal. Labels on bottles aren’t always accurate. Be suspicious of unusually cheap drinks claiming to use branded spirits, they may be counterfeit.”

The travel advice board shared “The symptoms of methanol poisoning can vary. If you or a friend have symptoms or just don’t feel right, get medical help immediately. Urgent medical care could save your life.”