Alcohol at the root of violent crime

Home Office figures show that in nearly half of all violent incidents, victims believed offenders to be under the influence of alcohol.

This figure rose to 54 per cent in cases of “stranger violence”. The offender was least likely to be perceived to be under the influence of alcohol in the case of muggings, according to the British Crime Survey.

As a result, the Home Office has identified a number of ways of tackling the effects of alcohol-related crime.

The aims of the Respect agenda are to tackle the anti-social effects of binge drinking on British society. The Licensing Act 2003 also introduced new powers to allow police to crack down on alcohol-fuelled disorder. These include tougher closure powers for the police to deal with problem premises, increased penalties for selling alcohol to under 18s and ending fixed closing times, so eradicating 11pm and 2am disorder flashpoints.

It also gives more power to local residents by enabling them to: ask for a review of an existing licence at any time, challenge any new licence application, and hold local councillors to account for licensing decisions at the ballot box.

Forces are increasingly using Penalty Notices for Disorder (PNDs) to make arrests for alcohol-related crime to avoid being tied to the police station with paperwork.