Police campaign cuts crime

A POLICE campaign to tackle binge drinking and anti-social behaviour on the streets of Warrington saw a dramatic reduction in crime during the summer.
Over six weeks in July to September numbers of alcohol-related incidents reported to Cheshire police dropped to 2593, from 2962 for the same period last year. At the same time the number of crimes fell by 253, from 902 to 649.
A high-profile campaign “The Good, Bad and Ugly” is thought to have had a significant impact on alcohol-related crime at the end of summer. It highlighted the vulnerability of people who binge-drink.
The message was, “If you drink too much you are more likely to become a victim of crime or anti social behaviour.”
The campaign was centred on 10 “Top Looks to Avoid”.
High-impact pictures illustrated “typical” sights on a Friday and Saturday night – such as a girl sitting at the roadside with mascara running from tear-filled eyes and a man, dressed as a clown, walking along a railway line.
Police say the pictures raised awareness of the danger which binge-drinking can bring. They generated a lot of positive feedback and an increased number of people logging onto the police website.
As part of the campaign a leaflet was produced advising people how to stay safe during and after summer barbecues.
Assistant Chief Constable Janette McCormick said: “The campaign is proving a success in creating awareness of alcohol-related problems. This is shown by the decrease in the number of incidents compared to the same period in 2010.
“People are clearly taking notice of the messages and altering their behaviour. This is an all-year round issue and it will continue. In particular, we will be targeting under-age drinkers, with school liaison officers getting the message across to young people. It is a lesson best learned early in life.”
During the run up to Christmas a new set of “Looks to Avoid” will be published, with a seasonal theme.