Expect an official Christmas alcohol blitz to tackle drink-fuelled disorder and underage drinking
What the authorities call a crackdown in town centres across the country in December and January is the second phase of an ACPO and Home Office co-ordinated campaign to cut alcohol related violence.
The next phase of the campaign will run from 15 December 2004to 1 January 2005. Every police force in England and Wales is being invited to take part.
Home Office Minister Hazel Blears was speaking at a joint Home Office and ACPO conference in London, to an audience including police, trading standards, local authority executives and the alcohol industry, discussing the successes of the summer campaign and the lessons learned from it. Mrs Blears praised the joint working in the summer crackdown.
Mrs Blears said: “The summer blitz on binge drinking led by the police and other partners was a real success in raising awareness of the need to tackle alcohol-related violence and disorder. We know from this campaign that sustained enforcement activity succeeds in reducing the types of violent crime that cause serious injury and harm.
“In the 92 policing areas that took part there was a slight increase in the number of lower level harassment and violent incidents recorded due to more proactive policing through enhanced enforcement activities. However, there was a nine per cent fall in more serious violent crime in the participating areas when compared with a one per cent increase in the areas that did not take part.
“The campaign also demonstrated the value of joint working between the police service, other partners and Government. For example, the engagement of trading standards officers in sting operations provided valuable data about how easy it is for young people to buy alcohol. Although many licensed premises are well run, we now know that the industry needs to do more to crack down on those that behave irresponsibly.
“If we are to achieve a long-term change in the culture it is vital to tackle underage drinking. Last week we extended the scope of fixed penalty notices to cover the sale, purchase and consumption of alcohol to and by young people. This will provide the police with extra tools to respond immediately to this problem and I hope they will be used in the coming months to send a clear message that sales of alcohol to under-18s will not be tolerated.
“Christmas is a time when people should be able to have a few drinks and enjoy themselves, but should not be an excuse for violent and anti-social behaviour by a minority, spoiling enjoyment for everyone else. Along with the Licensing Act, the summer campaign was a step towards changing the drinking culture in this country and I hope the lessons we learned will be built on to extend the campaign out to every area of the country next month.”
ACPO President Chris Fox said:
"Tackling alcohol related crime requires a long term, strategic, joined up and common sense approach between the police and other agencies. At the strategic planning process for towns and cities we must ensure that there is the basic infrastructure to support the number of licensed premises such transport, toilets, food outlets and street cleaning. And there must be control over the numbers of licenses issued to avoid a saturation of the market which we know leads to the irresponsible loss-leading offers and dangerous promotions in pubs and bars that encourage binge drinking and drinking to excess.
"The police must use their enforcement powers against the industry and the perpetrators of alcohol related crime and disorder to maximum effect. Premises must now know that if they do not operate within the terms of their licenses they will be subject to the full range of enforcement powers. And where this occurs, and where the police issue Fixed Penalty Notices, the police must be backed up by the courts for a seamless, end to end process of preventing, tackling and ultimately bringing offenders to justice.
"Enforcement cannot be the only activity. With the increasing numbers of licensed premises in cities like Nottingham, where there has been a 76 per cent jump over the last few years, we know that we have had to match the number of drinkers with greater numbers of officers to police the vicinity of premises – this is a short term, ineffective solution that, on its own, does nothing to address the underlying problem.
"We hope to make Christmas a happy and safe time for everyone – and hope that this campaign will ensure that is it not marred by the irresponsible behaviour of a few."
