Brighton paves the way with alternative approach to alcohol issues
In the parlance of drug and alcohol policy it's harm reduction versus consumption reduction. For the licensed trade this crucial debate can be crystallised into something that sounds more like a League One football fixture: Brighton vs Oldham.
Other local authorities might be looking to follow Oldham's lead, as featured on Panorama, in trying to deal with disorder. This includes tougher regulation of licensed premises, including minimum pricing and post office-style queues to reduce how much people are drinking.
But they ought to be made aware that another, less aggressive, approach is producing results.
Over the last few years Brighton has seen:
• Minor assaults fall by 24 per cent
• Assault injuries outside the home down 13 per cent
• Perception of drunkenness drop 30 per cent
• 29 per cent more people feeling safe on the streets
• Noise complaints about licensed premises tumble 35 per cent
West Street, the hub of the city's drinking circuit, has gone in five years from being the most troublesome street in Sussex to not even appearing in the top 40.
If there is a single word to explain this success it's partnership. A partnership between Brighton & Hove Council, the trade, the police, public transport and the voluntary sector, all in continuous communication.
Together, through the city's Business Crime Reduction Partnership and a licensing team, they take a holistic approach that isn't simply about licensing or policing but managing the whole environment.
They use existing powers with a light yet sure touch and have added some original innovations:
• Operation Marble gets police on the streets early to 'set the tone', excluding troublesome individuals with Section 27 notices, issuing 'yellow cards' for disorderly behaviour and working closely with doorstaff
• NightSafe links more than 170 venues by radio enabling them to bar people who've received two 'yellow cards'
• Safe Space, where vulnerable people can get help to find a way home
• Night buses to clear crowds quickly.
The strategy won the city a Beacon award, which recognises excellence in local government, earlier this year for managing the night-time economy - and it's made West Street a safer place to have fun.
Out on the tiles in West Street
A night on West Street begins at 8.15pm when the boys are still pre-loading and gelling their hair and the girls are still pre-loading and hitching their hems just another half-inch further from the points of their stiletto heels.
It begins in a briefing room at John Street police station where the sergeant in charge of Operation Marble this evening is picking his teams, passing round pictures of excluded troublemakers and giving them last minute instructions.
"Remember the Guvnor's pet hate - no bananas."
Not a reference to the inspector's on-patrol snack, but to the tendency, for yellow-bibbed officers to bunch together during a long night on the streets.
The Guv'nor prefers pears. Sorry, pairs.
Two dozen officers were deployed to city centre hotspots making quite a visible presence - which is the whole idea.
When it was introduced four years ago Operation Marble turned Brighton police's approach on its head.
"Rather than sitting around waiting for something to happen, then jumping in a van to deal with it, we get in early to set the tone and try to nip any trouble in the bud," explains the Guv'nor, Inspector Jason Cummings, who I would be shadowing on a roving role tonight.
After a useful exchange of information at the regular Friday night meeting with doorstaff we were on the streets, and it wasn't long before the Guv'nor picked up a message calling him to the Bath Arms.
"Oh no. That's my favourite pub," he muttered.
Every officer in Operation Marble is linked through a dedicated radio wavelength. They know everything that's happening in the city centre without being distracted by incidents outside.
A lot of customers have spilled out of the Bath Arms into the narrow passages that make up The Lanes. Not an issue in itself, but a couple of people had been spotted walking away with glasses.
"We're usually quite hot on that," says the pub's assistant manager Robert Entwistle. "But I'll make sure it doesn't happen again and have a word with my manager about how we can improve things."
Problem solved.
Back on West Street, outside Oceana, a couple of doorstaff have a young man against the wall. It's a mystery what's happened. The man claims to know nothing. But he's yellow-carded.
Outside Walkabout, there's a heated discussion with two men from Lincolnshire. They're asked to move on. A few minutes later we hear one of them has been relieving himself off the top of the esplanade.
The Guv'nor, meanwhile, is getting harassment from a large bloke who's with his mate on a rare night out - they're both single parents, it seems.
Finally the Guv'nor has had enough and issues a Section 27 order telling them to leave the area for 12 hours. The two friends weave their way off West Street.
Up on North Street a young chap is nursing a bloody nose. A long conversation fails to establish the circumstances and he suddenly runs off. The Guv'nor gives chase but stops.
"I was only going to 27 him anyway," he says. "It's for their own protection as much as anything. He's gone, so it's the same result."
On West Street again a group have been ejected from Tru nightclub. One young woman has difficulty standing. Her boyfriend throws her over his shoulder fireman-style and walks off, but another woman stays to argue with the police.
"The lippy one will get a yellow card," declares the Guv'nor, as another night on West Street comes to a close.
Flip-flopping
One essential resource for anyone engaged in an alcohol harm reduction strategy is flip flops. Loads and loads of flip flops. First aid for young women the worse for wear means getting them off their high heels. A pair of flip flops can prevent serious injury.
So the shortage of flip flops at Safe Space is a worry.
Found in St Paul's Church, an incongruous Victorian gothic place of worship among West Street's glitzy dens of vice, Safe Space opens its door to fallen women, and fallen men, offering flip flops, sick bags, medical attention and help to get home. It was set up by Hove YMCA and the Red Cross after a spate of attacks on young women on the seafront.
If you can help with sponsorship or flip flops call Hove YMCA on 01273 222550.
The head of licensing
"I'm a fan of the Licensing Act. It allows for light touch regulation. We can target our resources where there are problems and leave the vast majority alone to get on with business."
Tim Nichols, Brighton & Hove City Council
The licensee
"We have a 24-hour licence here like a lot of the bars and clubs along the seafront. We open until 4am during the week and until 7am on a Saturday. People come and go through the night and by closing time there are about 30 people left, most of them barstaff from other places. It's no problem at all."
Paul Chalcraft, manager, Coalition
The NightSafe manager
"The question of minimum pricing came up here years ago. Even if we could do it legally you don't deal with disorder that way. You do it through good management of licensed premises and a close working relationship between those premises, the council and the police."
Nigel Liddell, Brighton & Hove Business Forum
The licensing officer
"Staggered closing means a more labour intensive job for the police over a longer period but there is less disorder and things are improving overall."
Sgt Malcolm Wanchop, Brighton police
