Crime and victims
Alcohol-related crime
The links between alcohol and violence are well established. But we are determined to rid our streets of this growing problem.
Facts & figures
- in nearly half (45%) of all violent incidents, victims believed offenders to be under the influence of alcohol
- this figure rose to 58% in cases of attacks by people they did not know
- 37% of domestic violence cases involve alcohol
- in nearly a million violent attacks in 2007-08, the aggressors were believed to be drunk
(Source: British Crime Survey 2007/08)
While it’s essential that cultural attitudes towards binge drinking change, we have also identified a number of ways of tackling the effects of alcohol-related crime.
Penalty notices
Practically, initiatives such as penalty notices help the police tackle alcohol-related crime more effectively, allowing the police to make arrests without being tied up in the police station filling out forms.
Alcohol harm reduction strategy
The alcohol harm reduction strategy for England (new window) recommended a number of ways to tackle the problem of alcohol misuse, including:
- putting a sensible drinking message on alcohol bottles
- greater use of fixed penalty fines for anti-social behaviour
- enforcing more strongly the existing rules on under-age drinking
Those recommendations were taken on board, and are now backed up by law. These laws make it easier for police and local authorities to address the anti-social aspects of excess drinking.
What you can do
There are a number of steps you can take if your concerned about alcohol-related crime in your area:
- find out more about the link between alcohol and crime, by taking a look at the available research publications
- contact your local community safety officer (new window) for more information about keeping yourself safe on the streets.
