Case Studies

Business crime: alcohol

by Mark Rowe

Rita King, pictured, director of the Portman Group, spoke at the one-day London business crime reduction conference at the Hippodrome on November 16. The Group’s work takes in reduction of drink-related violence and drink-driving.

The Group’s own research does show UK people are binge-drinking less, and drinking at harmful levels less. Rita King pointed however to areas that are bucking national trends, showing rises in alcohol-related crime and disorder, whether Newcastle (binge drinking reportedly above the national average) or Portsmouth (one of the cities where alcohol-related violence is above the national average). Hence schemes such as Best Bar None, and Purple Flag, seeking to reduce such harms; and the Group has been looking into what makes a vibrant night-time economy – and that includes premises being ‘responsible’, including supermarkets besides pubs and clubs. Sellers of alcohol can enforce the ‘Challenge 25’ scheme against under-age drinking.

She ran a film produced by ITN for the Royal Society for Public Health, featuring work in Sheffield and Bournemouth centres on main night outs, to reduce trouble and thus reduce demands on public services such as hospital A&E departments. Some of their work goes on in other places; such as by street pastors, who patrol and attend the scene (through radio links to local government CCTV control rooms) if people are unwell; and who may hand out lollies, and carry flip-flops (to come to the aid of women whose high heels may give out late at night) and water (if drinkers have become dehydrated).

The film quoted Jon Shipp, night-time co-ordinator in Bournemouth; and Alan Dove, chairman of Bournemouth’s town watch. The south coast resort (again, like some other places) has a ‘safe bus’ with a paramedic on duty to attend to people in distress, to relieve accident and emergency departments. Also named as examples of reduced crime as a result of partnership work were Durham, the London borough of Islington, and Nottingham.

About the Portman Group

It describes itself as ‘the social responsibility body for drinks producers in the UK’, seeking to encourage responsible drinking. Visit http://www.portmangroup.org.uk/. In 2004, it set up a website www.drinkaware.co.uk.

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