Police prepare for busy weekend as revelling peaks
Thursday, 18th December 2014.
Additional police will be on duty in towns across Suffolk this weekend, on what is expected to be one of the busiest weekends of the year for pubs and clubs.
Officers will be working with other local organisations including licensees, health professionals, taxi companies, and town pastors, to help reduce the chances of people putting themselves at risk of becoming either a victim or perpetrator of crime due to the amount of alcohol they’ve consumed.
Ch Supt Jon Brighton said: "We will have extra police officers on duty this weekend to help make sure that our towns are as a safe as possible for people out celebrating Christmas.
"Unfortunately people do sometimes become aggressive as a result of excess alcohol, or end up doing things they wouldn’t usually do if sober. We’re therefore asking people to think again before they drink another drop, to look after themselves and each other, and to respect our officers and others who work in the night time economy in order to keep people safe.”
Acting Ch Insp for Community Safety Paul Crick said: "We will be working with our partnership agencies to ensure that those who find themselves in vulnerable positions are kept safe for the rest of the evening, whether that is by helping them sober up, making sure they get home safe, or organising medical treatment. Mobile police stations will also be in place with people on hand to provide bottles of water, blankets, and first aid.”
"The more you drink, the more vulnerable you become, so we’d ask you to think again before having that extra drink. We’re also asking people to follow our basic safety advice, such as ensuring you have booked transport home, sticking together with friends, and never leaving your drinks unattended.”
Officers on patrol in the evenings will be wearing body-cameras which will record behaviour and will be looking to highlight a person’s vulnerability personally to them, by showing them the footage at a later date in the presence of a health worker.
Tim Passmore, Police and Crime Commissioner for Suffolk, said: "Speaking to officers across the county it’s quite shocking to realise just how much crime and anti-social behaviour is alcohol-fuelled, particularly at Christmas.
"So much police time is spent picking up the pieces that drunken behaviour causes, we really must take more responsibility for our own actions.
"I have allocated funding to various night-time economy projects such as taxi-marshalling and Best Bar None to keep our towns safe.
"It is important that we support the local economy to make Suffolk towns a safe place to enjoy an evening out.”
Top tips for staying safe:
o Drink plenty of water, pacing yourself to ensure you do not become dehydrated. A pint of water before you go to bed can also help see off any headaches.
o Eat well before you drink and your body will be better equipped to soak up the alcohol.
o Don’t be tempted to drink too much before the night begins, pre-drinking might save you money but if you’ve had too much, you will be refused entry to bars and clubs.
o Try turning up to the bar or party later than usual, to minimise your drinking time, or kick off with a soft drink to stop you feeling so thirsty.
o Stick with friends, look out for one another and make sure you all get home safely. Arrange a meeting point and rendezvous times in case you get separated from friends.
o Pre-book safe transport home and do not accept lifts from strangers. Save the number of a licensed taxi firm in your mobile phone. Always check the driver's identification and never get into an unlicensed taxi.
o Avoid walking alone and never take short cuts through dark alleys or large open spaces.
o Keep an eye on your drinks and never leave them unattended. Even soft drinks could get spiked.
o Getting behind the wheel after drinking can have tragic consequences, our advice is simple, don’t drink and drive.
Officers will be working with other local organisations including licensees, health professionals, taxi companies, and town pastors, to help reduce the chances of people putting themselves at risk of becoming either a victim or perpetrator of crime due to the amount of alcohol they’ve consumed.
Ch Supt Jon Brighton said: "We will have extra police officers on duty this weekend to help make sure that our towns are as a safe as possible for people out celebrating Christmas.
"Unfortunately people do sometimes become aggressive as a result of excess alcohol, or end up doing things they wouldn’t usually do if sober. We’re therefore asking people to think again before they drink another drop, to look after themselves and each other, and to respect our officers and others who work in the night time economy in order to keep people safe.”
Acting Ch Insp for Community Safety Paul Crick said: "We will be working with our partnership agencies to ensure that those who find themselves in vulnerable positions are kept safe for the rest of the evening, whether that is by helping them sober up, making sure they get home safe, or organising medical treatment. Mobile police stations will also be in place with people on hand to provide bottles of water, blankets, and first aid.”
"The more you drink, the more vulnerable you become, so we’d ask you to think again before having that extra drink. We’re also asking people to follow our basic safety advice, such as ensuring you have booked transport home, sticking together with friends, and never leaving your drinks unattended.”
Officers on patrol in the evenings will be wearing body-cameras which will record behaviour and will be looking to highlight a person’s vulnerability personally to them, by showing them the footage at a later date in the presence of a health worker.
Tim Passmore, Police and Crime Commissioner for Suffolk, said: "Speaking to officers across the county it’s quite shocking to realise just how much crime and anti-social behaviour is alcohol-fuelled, particularly at Christmas.
"So much police time is spent picking up the pieces that drunken behaviour causes, we really must take more responsibility for our own actions.
"I have allocated funding to various night-time economy projects such as taxi-marshalling and Best Bar None to keep our towns safe.
"It is important that we support the local economy to make Suffolk towns a safe place to enjoy an evening out.”
Top tips for staying safe:
o Drink plenty of water, pacing yourself to ensure you do not become dehydrated. A pint of water before you go to bed can also help see off any headaches.
o Eat well before you drink and your body will be better equipped to soak up the alcohol.
o Don’t be tempted to drink too much before the night begins, pre-drinking might save you money but if you’ve had too much, you will be refused entry to bars and clubs.
o Try turning up to the bar or party later than usual, to minimise your drinking time, or kick off with a soft drink to stop you feeling so thirsty.
o Stick with friends, look out for one another and make sure you all get home safely. Arrange a meeting point and rendezvous times in case you get separated from friends.
o Pre-book safe transport home and do not accept lifts from strangers. Save the number of a licensed taxi firm in your mobile phone. Always check the driver's identification and never get into an unlicensed taxi.
o Avoid walking alone and never take short cuts through dark alleys or large open spaces.
o Keep an eye on your drinks and never leave them unattended. Even soft drinks could get spiked.
o Getting behind the wheel after drinking can have tragic consequences, our advice is simple, don’t drink and drive.
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