Dorset Police has launched a new
campaign to help reduce town centre alcohol-related violent
crime.
People drinking in Bournemouth town centre’s pubs, bars and
clubs will see new posters on display informing them to ‘Enjoy your
night – stay out of trouble’.
Signs featuring the distinctive campaign
artwork are also being put up on lampposts in the town centre. The
messages on these all-weather tri signs remind people ‘If you cause
trouble tonight, you will be arrested’ and ‘Alcohol makes you more
likely to become a victim or an offender of crime’.
The
unique posters and signs are being put up around the town centre
today – Monday 23 July 2012 – and they complement a similar
campaign run last summer which helped to reduce night time economy
related sexual offences.
Approximately 20% of all of the violent crime
offences – including all levels of assault, public order offences
and affray – committed in Dorset during the year 2011/12 took place
in night time economy areas. This equates to 1,691 violent
crimes.
The majority of these offences took place in
Bournemouth town centre – Dorset’s largest night time economy area
– with 929 violent crimes being committed there during 2011/12. A
total of 283 violent crimes were committed in Weymouth town centre
during the same one year period.
Bournemouth Central Neighbourhood Inspector,
Dean O’Connor, said: “This campaign is part of our approach to
reduce alcohol-related violent crime.
“All too often we have to arrest people in the
town centre who have had too much to drink and decide to cause
trouble or get into fights.
“People have been left with extremely serious
injuries as a result of drunken violence, so it is important we do
everything we can to reduce these offences.
“I’m not saying people shouldn’t enjoy a night
out in the town, but they shouldn’t drink to the extent that they
wake up in a police cell the following morning.”
The campaign artwork focuses on the use of a
male character with a distinctive, large red head. This character
represents an alcohol-fuelled violent offender.
The character finds himself in various
situations including getting into a fight, being arrested by a
police officer and ending up in a prison cell.
This campaign is being delivered as part of
Operation Protect – the Force’s approach to reducing serious and
violent crime in Dorset.
Inspector O’Connor continued: “This campaign
supports our aim of making Bournemouth town centre a safe place for
residents and visitors to enjoy.
“We work closely with local establishments and
use the Safe Bus in the town to help keep people safe.
“However, members of the public must also take
responsibility for their own actions and take measures to stay safe
and not commit offences.”
Bournemouth University students will also see
the campaign posters from September when they are due to be put up
in halls of residence and in University buildings.
The campaign posters are also due to be
distributed to licensed premises in Weymouth town centre later this
year. They will also be made available to Safer Neighbourhood Teams
across the Force to use in their areas as they feel
appropriate.
This campaign follows the success of last
year’s Operation Protect campaign which focussed on reducing town
centre alcohol-related sexual violence and used the same style of
artwork.
Reports of night time economy-related serious
sexual violence offences reduced by 31% across Dorset when
comparing figures for the year 2010/11 with 2011/12.
The number of reported serious sexual offences
for Bournemouth town centre reduced from 86 offences in 2010/11 to
55 offences in 2011/12 (a reduction of 36%) and Weymouth’s figures
dropped from 11 offences to five offences (a reduction of 55%)
during the same period.
The campaign won the national Best Campaign
award at the Association of Police Communicators (APComm) Awards in
November 2011.
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