Case Study - Blackpool Borough Council & Lancashire Constabulary

Nightsafe cuts alcohol-related crime in clubbing hotspot

A holistic approach to drink-fuelled violence has made night-time crime drop by a fifth in Blackpool. Asking licensees to commit to the ‘Nightsafe’ initiative, the partnership is on a mission to design out alcohol-related violent crime and anti-social behaviour.

Drink-fuelled violence and anti-social behaviour were the flipside of Blackpool’s booming club and pub scene. In response, Blackpool Council and the Lancashire Constabulary spearheaded the Nightsafe initiative to create an environment where violence was not tolerated.

The initiative, bringing together licensees, communities, health authorities, transport providers and the media, is now the standard for tackling alcohol-related violent crime within Lancashire. So far, around 16 other Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships have copied the formula.

A hard line on anti-social behaviour

The Nightsafe brand has been recognised by the Home Office as good practice. From initial idea to the stage of getting it into the public arena the project took approximately six months. It has, however, taken another two years to get to the stage of compliance.

Initially, all Blackpool licensees were asked to commit to the Nightsafe scheme by taking a hard line on drugs, drunkenness, underage drinking, anti-social behaviour, disorderly conduct and violence.

Specific programmes were then put in place to tackle some of the most important issues.

The Walk Away campaign

The ‘Walk Away’ campaign primarily targeted 18–24 year old white men, and a local model was chosen to promote it. The main aim was to discourage binge-drinking and highlight the link between binge-drinking and violence.

Furthermore, the police work with a Trading Standards team to prevent illegal sales of alcohol. This includes selling to underage drinkers, people who are already drunk or to people outside the licensing hours. For a period, anyone arrested for drink-related offences was given a questionnaire to help police gather intelligence on drink-related incidents.

Licensing Barrister

The Licensing Unit and Nightsafe have retained the services of a Licensing Barrister, who is familiar with the issues facing the division. This has led to a more professional and consistent approach with the courts in respect of licensing matters.

Attacks on the gay and lesbian community are another area tackled by Nightsafe. The combination of ignorance and drink has sparked some homophobic attacks in the late night hours. Posters and marketing products highlighted the issues and encouraged victims to report crimes.

Voluntary code

Most licensed premises have signed up to the ‘Responsible Drinks Promotions Discounting Protocol’. This voluntary code encourages licensees to agree to no discounting on Friday or Saturday evenings after 8pm, no ‘all you can drink’ entry promotions and no games involving speed drinking.

Credit card sized information sheets and beer mats carry the Nightsafe logo and the scheme has used shock tactics with images showing the aftermath of alcohol-related crime.

The taxi rank ‘Think Safe and Join the Queue’ scheme was set up for the Christmas and New Year period. This multi-agency initiative helps those waiting at Talbot Square taxi rank to get home quickly and safely. Stewards are on hand to supervise and ensure there is an orderly queue, and so reduce the threat of violence.

Plans are now in place to extend the scheme to three more taxi sites.

Drop in crime rates

Two universities in the region are conducting research into the effectiveness of the Nightsafe project. Indications are that the scheme has had a positive impact on levels of alcohol-related crime and on people’s feelings of safety. Between February and July 2004, compared to the same period in 2003, street disturbances fell by 22.8 per cent and disturbances at licensed premises throughout the division were down by 16 per cent.

The Nightsafe team feels that a large part of their success is down to the relationship they have with their partners and the fact that so many residents are aware of the initiative. Local media coverage has been extensive, and there has also been coverage in the Daily Express, on the BBC, and GMTV.

As a holiday resort with up to 11 million visitors a year, the team has noticed some seasonal variations. An increase in numbers of tourists corresponds to an increase in numbers of violent crime. However, Nightsafe coordinator Richard Hurt thinks that the underlying trend is fairly constant.

Regular workshops

As an example of good practice, Nightsafe now holds regular workshops, which give other police forces and community partners the opportunity to learn from the scheme and discuss issues in their own areas.

As the Nightsafe initiative covered Lancashire Constabulary’s usual remit there was no initial need for external funding. Furthermore, there was an extensive network of other responsible authorities to involve in this idea, which meant that the costs could be split.

For more information, please contact Richard Hurt on 01772 410558 or at richard.hurt@lancashire.pnn.police.uk