Alcohol and crime
The links between alcohol and violence are well known, but did you know that alcohol is a factor in nearly half of all violent crimes? Find out what you can do about alcohol-related crime in your area.
Alcohol and crime: a snapshot
When it comes to crime, alcohol use has a big impact. Recent crime statistics show that:
- in 45 per cent of all violent crimes, the victims believed their attackers had been drinking
- 37 per centof domestic violence cases involve alcohol
- in 2007-08, more than a million crimes involved alcohol use in some way
The kinds of crime that often involve alcohol
Alcohol frequently plays a role in certain kinds of crime including:
- anti-social behaviour
- assault
- robbery
In many cases both the criminal and the victim had been drinking before the crime took place. That makes it harder for the police to get a good description of the suspect and to find out what happened.
Punishments for minor alcohol-related offences
If fear of alcohol-related violence and intimidation keeps you away from town centres on weekend evenings, you're not alone. This is a problem in many communities.
To stop that kind of intimidating rowdiness, police can issue on-the-spot fines in the form of penalty noticesfor intimidating drunken behaviour.
Notices can be issued for things like:
- public drunkenness
- creating a nuisance
- urinating in public
- threatening behaviour
These notices result in instant fines that vary based on the severity of what happened in each case.
Anyone who consistently drinks too much and breaks the law, can also receive an anti-social behaviour order (ASBO). That orderwill be tailored to limit where they go and what they do, and canorderthem not to entercertain pubs or bars.
If they later violate that order theycould receive more severe penalties, including high fines, and even time in jail.
Worried about alcohol-related crime in your area?
There are a number of steps you can take if youre concerned about alcohol-related crime in your area
You can:
- contact your local neighbourhood policing team to let them know about the problem they specialise in neighbourhood issues like this, and hold regular meetings with residents
- contact your local council to let them know whats happening
- join a local Neighbourhood Watch group, where you can hear about other peoples experiences
- check out the Alcohol Concern website, which has lots of information about alcohol-related issues
This content is subject to Crown Copyright
- Source:
- DirectGov
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