Joy of Christmas

A CHRISTMAS crackdown on alcohol-related street crime led to a decrease in violent crime, police have claimed.

Police officers across the county arrested 235 people, visited 554 licensed premises and issued 55 Fixed Penalty Notices for alcohol related disorder offences under the Alcohol Misuse Enforcement Campaign.

During the six-week campaign, which ran from November 14 to Christmas Eve, there were 11 per cent fewer assaults than in the same period the previous year.

The number of arrests for drunk and disorderly behaviour was also down by 20 per cent, despite the onset of 24-hour licensing.

Police officers carried out extra patrols as part of the campaign as well as visiting pubs and clubs to discuss opening hours, security arrangements and licensing conditions.

They believe the cold weather also helped keep crime levels down.

Assistant Chief Constable Simon Parr said: “I would like to congratulate officers for preventing what could have been a great deal more incidents through close liaison with licensees and for the way they dealt with drunken and anti-social behaviour where it occurred.”

He added that police would continue to carry out public order patrols and penalise licensees who breach their licensing conditions.

Police also carried out a joint initiative with Hertfordshire Trading Standards to clamp down on the sale of alcohol to under-age drinkers.

Under-18-year-olds were sent into licensed premises to make “test-purchases”.

Out of 88 tests, ten resulted in a sale to the young person without their age being questioned or identification requested.

Trading Standards will be seeking a review of licenses in venues where alcohol was sold to under-18s.

Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Licensing Co-ordinator Inspector, Ian Stubbs, said: “It is vital that we send a very clear message to shops, pubs and clubs that selling alcohol to people under the age of 18 is inexcusable, irresponsible and anti-social.”

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