Successive British Crime Surveys indicate that many non-domestic alcohol related assaults occur in the context of the night-time economy. Around half of such incidents took place in or around pubs and clubs, with 70 per cent on weekend evenings. Most of the others revolved around associated public places and on transport facilities.
The 1998 Crime and Disorder Act already places a statutory duty on Local Authorities and Police to undertake audits of local crime and disorder. A 1998 Home Office evaluation found 70 per cent of these audits mentioned alcohol as an issue, yet partnerships then in existence did not focus systematically on the issue when collecting data, despite alcohol's link with:
- violence
- anti-social and disorderly behaviour
- acquisitive crime, and
- criminal damage.
In many places the paucity of intelligence on local patterns and contexts of alcohol related crime and disorder has compromised the development of appropriate criminal justice and public health interventions. In many places Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) have addressed this, for example through Geographical Information System support.
Partnership Work in the South East
In advance of the changes to licensing law, the Home Office community safety team and the South East Regional Public Health Group in the Government Office for the South East sponsored five conferences bringing together a wide cross section of stakeholders involved in managing alcohol and disorder. The objectives of these events were to:
- enhance the understanding of the impact of alcohol fuelled violence especially the burden it placed on the NHS
- facilitate an appreciation of the changes to alcohol licensing regulations, and
- develop practical responses to alcohol-related violence within the context of local CDRPs and community safety.
These events also highlighted the evidence base of a successful model of community violence prevention developed by Professor Shepherd from Cardiff following the Home Office sponsored Tackiling Alcohol and Street Crime initiative.
The Cardiff research demonstrates that hospital A&E departments have the potential to contribute to the management of this crime and disorder problem. Depersonalised A&E intelligence is pivotal in directing assault reduction initiatives in collaboration with the police and local authority partners. The Cardiff model has indicated that the approach enables a reduction in A&E alcohol-related violence activity as a result of targeted policing and a consequent demand for NHS A&E provision.
The model is being implemented in a number of Emergency Departments across the South East through a GOSE initiative which encourages a closer working relationship between the NHS and CDRPs. By the end of March 2008, 26 out of the existing 32 A&E departments in the SOuth East have agreed to collect assault data, based on the Cardiff model, and share it with their local CDRPs. It is anticipated that this will enable CDRPs to make a significant impact on assault activity in the communities they serve and has already led to an increase in the identification of domestic violence victims and closure of licensed premises.
