The number of cautions issued in Suffolk for public drinking offences can be found in the following table. Additionally, Penalty Notices for Disorder (PNDs) were rolled out to all police forces in 2004. The data shows that in 2004, 302 persons received a PND for public drinking offences in Suffolk. In 2005 the figure was 404, and in 2006 the figure was 376.
Cautioned 2002 268 2003 240 20044 188 2005 81 2006 70 1 These data are on the principal offence basis. 2 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 3 The data above include the following offences and statutes; Being found drunk in a highway or other Public place whether a building or not, or a licensed premises—Licensing Act 1872 sec 12. Alcohol consumption in designated public places—Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 sec 12. Any person who in any public place is guilty, while drunk, of disorderly behaviour—Criminal Justice Act 1967 sec.91. 4 The Penalty Notice for Disorder (PND) scheme was rolled out to all police forces in 2004. Three offences in the scheme relate to “public drinking”.
The Government take the issue of crime committed by individuals when drunk, or through binge drinking, very seriously. The Government are aware that drinking among young people under the age of 18 is associated with criminal and disorderly behaviour. Nearly half of all 10 to 17-year-olds who drink once a week or more, admitted to some sort of criminal or disorderly behaviour. Of young people aged 18 to 24, those who binge drink were far more likely to admit to committing criminal or disorderly behaviour during or after drinking.
The Government have taken a number of actions in order to combat this issue, including introducing the Tackling Violent Crime Programme (TVCP) which was launched in November 2004. Additionally, local areas are now required to address alcohol-related issues within their crime and disorder reduction partnerships (CDRP) strategies. The Government have produced guidance to assist local areas in producing their strategies, and the Government offices for the regions are co-ordinating this requirement within their specific region. The Government have also recently published “A practical guide for dealing with alcohol related problems” which is aimed at local alcohol practitioners and gives advice about the tools and powers available to tackle alcohol-related crime.
The Government are working to improve the way alcohol-related offenders are dealt with in custody and in the community. The National Offender Management Service is taking this work forward which includes; the publication of an alcohol pack for offenders under probation supervision, disseminating across the national probation service learning points from alcohol best practice projects, as well as work to develop two alcohol treatment programmes for prisons.
Additionally, the Government have funded four alcohol arrest referral pilots. These schemes aim to offer custody-based interventions from a trained worker in order to reduce reoffending. These pilots will be rolled out to 10 new areas, which will ensure that the under 18s will also benefit from these interventions.