Alcohol and Crime: Taking Stock crrs3

This review information from the academic, health and policing fields in the UK and abroad to explore the links between alcohol and crime and suggest ways of tackling it. It identifies recommendations to reduce alcohol-related crime and suggests methods, which could reduce the level of policing and other resources, needed to deal with these offences. Alcohol and crime are shown to be directly associated through alcohol-specific offences such as drunkenness and drunk driving and indirectly through physical, psychological and situational factors. The importance of the physical and social environment in licensed premises are identified as affecting the likelihood of alcohol-related violence, for example the design of venues, serving of food, use of safe glassware and staggering of closing times are all suggested as ways of providing a safer environment. Both the criminal justice system and the licensed industry are highlighted as having a role to reduce alcohol-related crime with a partnership approach being viewed as particularly important in achieving success.

The study concludes that no one single measure will alleviate alcohol-related crime. In addition, alcohol education must examine why people drink, their attitudes to drink as well as how and when they drink in order to develop a co-ordinated approach to tackling alcohol related crime.