Government launches £2.5million alcohol crackdown
Tessa Jowell launched the £2.5million Home Office campaign by warning there will be a crackdown on disorderly louts and rogue licensees.
As revealed by morningadvertiser.co.uk last week, the fourth Alcohol Misuse Enforcement Campaign (AMEC) was launched today by the Government and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).
Home Office Minister Liam Byrne - who looks set to take over the role vacated by Hazel Blears in last week's re-shuffle announced the new crackdown today.
I hoped that the AMEC had had its day to be honest.Jon Collins, senior consultant at the Bar Entertainment and Dance Association.
He said the campaign will run for one month and will involve all police forces in England and Wales as well as Trading Standards and licensing officers.
Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell said: "This campaign is the next chapter in our drive to crack down on alcohol-fuelled crime and disorder.
"Thanks to the new licensing laws, the police now have tougher powers than ever before to deal with the minority of drunken revellers and rogue licensees that act irresponsibly. I expect to see them continuing to use these powers in this latest crackdown.
"And in turn they will ensure a better night out for the vast majority of adults that want to enjoy the extended choice offered by the new laws."
Byrne added: "I believe that everyone should be able to enjoy the long warm evenings of the summer months without the fear of violence or intimidation.
"I am very pleased to be launching this further campaign which will reinforce the message that people acting irresponsibly will not escape the force of the law, now or in the future."
But Jon Collins, senior consultant at the Bar Entertainment and Dance Association, said the £2.5m allocated to AMEC4 would be better spent funding partnership schemes such as Best Bar None, city safe and Business Improvement Districts.
"Given that the trade has displayed an exceptional record in previous AMEC campaigns I would have thought there's a logic to say, 'lets fund partnership work'," said Collins "I hoped that the AMEC had had its day to be honest. I had heard rumbling that there wouldn't be any more."
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Your CommentsRobert Feal-Martinez via email 09/05/2006"Yet again the Government shows it's contempt for all the hard work Licensees have put in providing decent facilities and atmosphere for decent customers. When are the Police, LA's and HMG going to take ownership of the blame for creating this problem of over capacity in town centres and 'imposed' entertainment zones, which are now the major cause of the problem. It really is a no-brainer. What did the afore mentioned groups think would happen craming thousands of revellers into small areas. But now the solution is to target mainly innocent Licensees with covert and dishonest sting operations. I echo what a colleague has already said, keep a camera on hand and if you are targeted photograph the under age drinker, do not accept the fine, go to court if you believe you have acted responsibly. It is right and proper that we do act responsibly, but so should the Police and LA's, which have repeatadly seen from news reports that they don't."
Nick Newman via email 10/05/2006"I heartily endorse the comments of Mr Feal-Martinez with particular regard to Test Purchasing.
The integrity of these 'sting' operations is entirely flawed in my view. Evidence for this view comes, I think, from the recent Liverpool case where the courts found FOR the DPS when one of these youngsters was 'made-up' in such a way as to to deliberately deceive bar staff.
Again echoing the comments of Mr Feal-Martinez, round IV of AMEC serves merely to undermine the great patnership work carried out by DPSs and statutory authorities the length and breadth of the UK.
Nick NewmanChair - Cardiff Licensees Forum
