Survey shows reductions in alcohol-related anti-social behaviour in Scarborough

North Yorkshire Police are one of the agencies working with retailers as part of the Community Alcohol Partnership

CAPs are made up of partnerships between local authorities, police, schools, retailers, neighbourhood groups and health providers, working together to prevent alcohol-related harm to young people and improve the quality of life for residents.

In Scarborough, partners include North Yorkshire Police, the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire, North Yorkshire County Council Trading Standards, Scarborough Borough Council Community Safety and Safeguarding, local schools and retailers including Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Morrisons and Lidl.

In comparison to the previous year’s survey, there has been notable reductions in alcohol-related anti-social behaviour including:

• drunk and rowdy in public places – reduced by 16.4%

• young people asking adults to buy alcohol for them – reduced by 16.4%

• alcohol litter in public places – reduced by 6.3%

PC Jon Dillon, of the Scarborough Community Impact Team, said: “The results of the survey indicate that the Scarborough Community Alcohol Partnership is having success and improving the safety, wellbeing and comfort of Scarborough residents as well as looking at reducing a demand on services.

“The CAP partners will continue to work in areas of education, preventing sales, access and availability of alcohol, looking at diverting young people into positive activities and to specialist service providers if required.

“The reduction is very good news for the partnership, but our work is still in the early stages that will hopefully see further reductions as experienced by residents.”

Scarborough CAP is urging residents to take part in upcoming surveys to help inform and shape the problem-solving responses to local crime and anti-social behaviour issues.

The partnership is also asking parents, guardians and care givers to follow the “NotMyChild” campaign by Kerry Roberts and Zoë Metcalfe, the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

Kerry’s daughter, Leah, was just 15 when she lost her life in a car park in Northallerton after taking two ‘MDMA bombs’ - a powder form of ecstasy - whilst with a group of friends.

Kerry and Zoë want to help other parents to have proactive and positive conversations with their children about drugs and alcohol.

Insights and excellent advice are available on the campaign page www.notmychild.info.