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A conference on alcohol and its links to crime will be held on Wednesday evening (19 November), hosted by Hampshire County Council and the County Strategy Group on Crime and Disorder. Councillor Roy Perry, Deputy Leader of the County Council and Chairman of the County Strategy Group is inviting a range of agencies and organisations to take part in ‘Alcohol: Education - Enforcement In Hampshire' at Winchester's Discovery Centre. Councillor Roy Perry The event will take the form of a discussion and panel debate which will be led by BBC South Today television presenter, Sally Taylor. This will be the first time that such large numbers of groups, including the local authorities, emergency services, health and voluntary sectors as well as the licensed industry and young people, will come together to debate, discuss and contribute to the county's blueprint and programme of activity for tackling alcohol-related themes. Delegates will then go on to quiz the panel of experts on these issues. Alcohol not only impacts on crime and anti-social behaviour but also on the perception of safety in Hampshire. It is a factor in 47 per cent of violent crime and 30 per cent of sexual crime in the county. 93 per cent of people who attend Accident and Emergency between 10pm and 6am on a Friday and Saturday night do so as a result of alcohol misuse. Councillor Roy Perry said: "No single agency can successfully combat the problem of alcohol and its effects on our communities. Hampshire is safer than most other counties but only if we look at the issue of alcohol collectively and pull together in partnership, can we make a difference and help to make Hampshire even safer and more secure, for all. "Combating crime and anti-social behaviour and improving public health are also among our priorities within the Local Area Agreement (LAA) - a set of joint targets reflecting residents' issues and concerns, and which is overseen by the new Hampshire Senate. Tackling drugs and alcohol misuse are key to these. "This is the first ever community safety conference to be held in the county and we are delighted to welcome the new Chief Constable of Hampshire Police, Alex Marshall as our key note speaker for this inaugural event." The Hampshire Senate is a voluntary partnership designed to promote better working between public services, including focusing on improved results linked to the Local Area Agreement (LAA). For more information visit Hampshire County Council |
