Booze a bigger threat than terror

ALCOHOL-RELATED crime has become a bigger priority for Derbyshire police than terrorism.

A new list of "threats" drawn up by the force puts offences associated with booze second only to organised criminal activity.

A similar list produced last year also had organised crime at the top but had the terrorism risk in second place.

Now, with 5,326 offences linked to alcohol in the county in the year up to August, and the majority of arrests on our streets between 10.30pm and 3am also related to drinking, senior officers have promised an increased focus on the issue.

Chief Constable Mick Creedon said paying particular attention to the problem was not a new thing for police, but that it would be given more emphasis.

He said: "In Britain, there is a hard drinking culture and, in a sense, that is not a new thing but it has certainly become more acute."

The police initiative comes as Derbyshire County Council launches its own campaign against binge drinking, offering offenders the chance to avoid fines if they attend lectures on the dangers of excessive drinking.

Mr Creedon said: "One of the issues we are facing is that alcohol is so readily available.

"As police, we can't change the world and we're not trying to do that. We can't stop the fact that alcohol is cheaper in supermarkets than some bottles of water.

"We have confronted youths who have been drinking cider that they've got hold of for a couple of pounds. You can get a large bottle of vodka for as little as £5 from some supermarkets.

"When I was growing up as a teenager, you just couldn't get anything like that but that has changed, there's no doubt about that."

Senior officers have drawn up a league table of 41 crimes and issues they believe should be priorities for the force.

They took account of input from local community safety partnerships, councils, Derbyshire Fire and Rescue and HM Revenue and Customs.

After organised criminal groups and alcohol-related disorder, the third biggest threat to public safety is drugs possession.

Mr Creedon said he was keen to reassure people in Derbyshire that the county was not a hotbed of criminal activity and was tackling its policing issues head-on.

He said: "These are problems we have to address and now we are looking at what the best way of addressing them is.

"What we will do now is work harder to make sure those persons that are causing the community, the police and its partners problems are dealt with robustly."

Over the next few weeks, police will draw up an action plan on how they will target more resources to the highest-ranked issues.

Derbyshire County Council has already announced a series of schemes in Derby and four of the county's towns in a bid to drive down alcohol-related crime.

The scheme will mean anyone given penalty notices for alcohol offences will be given the opportunity to attend a three-hour educational course at half the price of the £80 fine.

It is hoped the scheme, which will also launch in Ripley, Ilkeston, Chesterfield and Buxton, will raise awareness of the medical effects of alcohol, from liver disease to mental health issues, as well as how it contributes to anti-social behaviour.

The county council's cabinet member for communities, Carol Hart, said: "This course provides people with all the information, advice and help that they need to reassess their alcohol use and make positive changes."