Vancouver police say their efforts to control the late-night drunken violence in the city's Granville entertainment district are starting to pay off.

Police have been working with bar owners, the taxi industry and others to get a handle on the alcohol-fueled mayhem that takes over the three-block strip every weekend.

Vancouver police say their efforts to control the drunken violence along the three-block strip of bars are starting to show results.
(Vancouver Police Department/CBC)

The area has been a trouble spot since the city began extending weekend closing times in 2003.

There are more than 5,000 licensed liquor seats in bars and clubs in the strip, and the later closing time has attracted thousands of young people from across the Lower Mainland.

Every weekend, they converge on the Granville Mall to drink and dance. Fights and vandalism, as well as public urination and vomiting, are common. 

Police had said that the situation is out of control, but that there are now some signs of improvement.
 
Supt. Steve Sweeney said one minor change that has made a big difference is eliminating night-club lineups after 2 a.m.
  
"Because what used to happen was the lineups basically stayed until the bars closed down, and then you'd have the people leaving the bars crashing into the people that were lined up all night to get into the bars, and that created a bad dynamic."

Police are focusing on the downtown perimeter, where they say groups are holding tailgate parties in parking lots before heading to the clubs.

"I think that reflects that the majority of rowdy people in Vancouver are cheap," said Chief Const. Jamie Graham, adding police are seeking "substantial penalties" from the liquor board for people caught drinking outside of licensed bars.

The city has also decided to allow taxis to line up in the 800 block of Granville on weekends, in an effort to eliminate fights over cabs at closing time.