NCJ Number
195430
Date Published
2002
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This paper examines the extent to which alcohol-related crime was mentioned as an issue in Great Britain's local crime audit documents and how it was addressed in crime-and-disorder strategies; recommendations for future work are offered.
Abstract
Copies of strategy documents were obtained from 366 local partnerships, along with audit data from 266 of the partnerships. Over 40 percent of the audit documents highlighted drunkenness as an issue, and nearly 60 percent of the audit documents related public order problems to alcohol consumption. Nearly 9 percent of the documents linked alcohol and domestic violence; and 5 percent connected local vandalism and alcohol misuse. Over one-quarter of the strategies aimed to reduce the availability of alcohol to youth, with attention to the enforcement of licensing laws; over 40 percent of the strategies aimed to reduce alcohol-related disorder, and 3 percent focused on reducing alcohol-related domestic violence incidents. Over 40 percent of the strategies aimed to increase awareness of alcohol issues, with 48 percent targeting only youth. Future audits could add more to knowledge about alcohol-related crime and disorder by focusing on it systematically as an issue when collecting data. Community surveys could ask specific questions about alcohol-related crime and collect data about local drinking patterns. Local treatment service data might provide useful information. These data could also provide valuable baseline data, potentially allowing analysis of the impact of future changes in the licensing laws. 16 notes