To reduce alcohol-related crime it is important to
tackle the underlying causes and the misuse and
sale of alcohol before it becomes a problem, as
well as enforce the law.
As a police service, Cheshire Police want to do more than
respond to the crime and arrest the offenders - we want to
prevent alcohol-related crime, not just deal with
the after effects.
What are the tactics Cheshire Police use to tackle
alcohol-related crime?
- Using Anti-Social Behaviour Orders,
Acceptable Behaviour Contracts and
injunctions to deter repeat offenders or force parents to take
responsibility for their children's behaviour.
- Ensuring a visible police
presence in town and city centres during hot-spot
times.
- Developing PubWatch to empower
licensees to share information and target
problems.
- Enforcing 'banning orders' for individuals who
have been barred from premises or arrested for drink-related
violence or disorder.
- Targeting named offenders of violent crime and
potential alcohol-related crime 'hotspots' such as taxi ranks, and
late night cafes, bars and clubs.
- Issuing fixed penalty notices where we find
licensees selling alcohol to under 18s in licensed
premises.
- Using litmus tests to determine whether soft
drinks being drunk by young people contain alcohol.
- Working with Trading Standards officers to
perform test purchases at bars, clubs and
off-licenses to check for staff selling alcohol to people under
18.
- Seizing alcohol from under 18s who are caught
drinking in public places.
- Seizing alcohol from people drinking
in an anti-social manner within designated no drinking
zones, and arresting those who fail to comply.
- Multi-agency licensing visits to licensed and
off-licensed premises.
- Greater use of CCTV to diffuse potential
disorder in town centres.
- Working with off-license premises to reduce theft and
proxy purchasing.
- Working with licensed premises to reduce anti-social
behaviour.
- Issuing Direction to Leave orders, which give
police officers the power to tell anyone aged 16 or over to leave a
particular area for up to 48 hours.
ArcAngel
ArcAngel is the joint approach to
tackling alcohol-related crime between Cheshire Police and
a range of other agencies, including local councils, Cheshire Fire
and Rescue Service and NHS trusts. We use a range of
strategies and powers to deal
with alcohol-related crime and anti-social behaviour.
For further information about ArcAngel and what towns/cities
have adopted the scheme, please visit our ArcAngel page.