Top cop unsure about minimum pricing
A senior police officer says he's not yet convinced of the link between reducing violent crime and a minimum price for alcohol.
Speaking exclusively to the Morning Advertiser, chief constable Jon Stoddart, the Association of Chief Police Officers' (ACPO) new lead on licensing, said: "We think there is a link between violent crime and alcohol, but we are not yet convinced of the link between minimum pricing and violence.
"It's a political and health issue and needs more work."
Stoddart said it was "sensible and responsible" that the new coalition examines loss-leading on alcohol in supermarkets; the new Government wants to ban below-cost sales.
Stoddart admitted he had concerns about the "marked trend" for pre-loading, which he attributed to the "disparity of pricing" between the on and off-trade. But he said pubs are "definitely" socially responsible and understood "their role and the risks they are dealing with".
Stoddart, chief constable for Durham, praised the city's award-winning Best Bar None scheme for helping change the city's "culture and ambience".
In the run-up to the World Cup police were accused of being heavy-handed towards pubs. But Stoddart said measures taken by pubs on using polycarbonates or extra door staff should "depend on the pub's location and its level of risk".
He called underage sting operations "an essential part of the police's practical armoury".
On the issue of live music licensing, Stoddart said that rather than exempting all pubs with a capacity for less than 200 from needing a specific licence, each venue should be looked at depending on its location and management.
He said police would have to adopt a "suck it and see" approach to the Government's proposed overhaul of the Licensing Act.
