Crime, Disorder, and Nuisance

The Home Office has published its action plan, Tackling alcohol related crime, disorder and nuisance. In the style the government has come to adopt in its desire to accommodate the industry, the document begins by making the point that "almost 90 per cent of the UK population enjoys alcohol, in the most part without causing difficulties for themselves or others". It goes on to say, however, "alcohol misuse is a major cause of both ill health and social distress". The stress on "misuse" is the Home Office's.

Although reference is made to the long-awaited national alcohol strategy from the Department of Health which is now due to be published "later this year", the Home Office clearly recognises that it has to make progress now in tackling the crime and disorder problems associated with alcohol. The new plan outlines a range of initiatives and "a context for developing new ideas and innovative approaches."

The document states that something in the region of 40 per cent of violent crime; 78 per cent of assaults and 88 per cent of criminal damage cases are committed while the offender is under the influence of alcohol. Alcohol is often used by offenders and victims before an offence is committed, and it is inextricably linked to disorder around licensed premises. It is acknowledged that fear of alcohol-related violence or intimidation may well mean that large numbers of people avoid city centres on weekend evenings.

The plan aims "to encourage local action to reduce levels of alcohol-related crime, disorder and nuisance". The reduction of under-age consumption of alcohol is the first of three specific objectives set out. Although it is important that the myth that alcohol problems are essentially associated with the young is not strengthened, it is absolutely true to say that underage drinking "must be addressed because it increases substantially the risks of young people becoming involved in criminal and disorderly behaviour, as well as leading to under-achievement at school, poor health and poor employment prospects which may lead on to additional problems in later life". As reported in Alert at the time of its publication, the 1998/99 Youth Lifestyles Survey reported that 84 per cent of 12 year olds had drunk alcohol at some time in their lives, with drinking increasing as they get older. It has been shown that the earlier the onset of drinking, the more likely dependence is to occur later in life.

The plan suggests, whilst pointing to measures proposed in the white paper on licensing reform, that "the existing legislative provisions – set out in the Licensing Acts of 1964 and 1988 – should be rigorously enforced to prevent the sale of alcohol to under 18s", that the provisions of the Confiscation of Alcohol (Young Persons) Act 1997 should be widely used, and that there should be more widespread use of "Proof of Age" schemes to enable those 18 and above to establish their age in premises where alcohol is on sale. The statement that "more widespread use of these schemes, which are voluntary, will make it less likely that those under 18 will attempt to purchase alcohol themselves because they will be unable to prove that they are 18 years of age" should be read in conjunction with recent research reported on page 15 of this magazine.

The second objective of the plan is to reduce public drunkenness which "can give rise to serious problems of disorderly conduct, nuisance, criminal damage and alcohol-related assaults, particularly in the proximity of licensed premises at closing time". The unsupported assertion that the white paper's proposal for flexible opening hours, with the potential for up to 24 hour opening, will ease this situation is again repeated. In respect of public drunkenness, the plan puts forward nothing which is not already in the white paper

The prevention of alcohol related violence is the plan's third objective. The document says that research into alcohol and violent crime has consistently shown that a high proportion of violent crime (between 50 and 80 per cent), including assault, rape, and murder, is committed by people who have been drinking. In addition, "studies of violent offenders have found them much more likely to be heavy drinkers". Among the solutions suggested are that:

  • hotspots associated with alcohol-related crime and disorder should be targeted;

  • greater use too should be made of information sharing schemes to keep troublemakers from pubs and clubs;

  • the role of both bar staff and door supervisors in helping to reduce incidents of disorder be properly recognised;

  • there should be more widespread use of toughened drinking glasses in pubs and bars and a refusal to sell beer in bottles in pubs and clubs, to help reduce the possibility their being used as weapons.

The Home Office hopes that all of its action plan will be adopted into local integrated strategies for tackling alcohol related crime and associated disorder and nuisance. It will be launching a good practice "tool kit" later in the year to assist local partnerships in delivering their strategies for tackling alcohol-related crime, disorder, and nuisance.