Crime and disorder

Alcohol and crime are strongly linked and working in the frontline services, you may have seen the relationship between the two on a regular, if not daily, basis.

Half of all crime is alcohol-related and it is having a significant impact on the North East. On individuals, on frontline services and on communities.

Every year alcohol misuse contributes to around 1.2m incidents of violent crime in England and studies show that as alcohol consumption increases, so does violent offending.

People who drink before going out for the night are more likely to be involved in a fight and around half of all violent incidents take place at the weekend (when binge drinking is at its peak). Alcohol is also linked with 40% of domestic violence cases.

And then there is the significant impact it is having on resources and the economy. The annual cost of alcohol-related crime in the North East is estimated to be somewhere in the region of £361-599 million.

Did you know?

• Across England there were 415,059 recorded crimes attributed to alcohol on 2009/10, equivalent to 8.1 crimes per 1,000 population.

• It is estimated that alcohol related crime and disorder costs England £9-15 billion a year.

• Alcohol misuse contributes to around 1.2 million incidents of violent crime in England.

• It is linked to 40% of domestic violence cases and 6% of all road casualties.

• Around half of all violent incidents take place at the weekend (when binge drinking is most prevalent), with 66% of stranger violence and wounding offences taking place between midnight and 6am.