Office of National Statistics data has found that violent crime linked to alcohol has fallen by 32% since 2004, and by 47% since 1995. Meanwhile, Department of Transport data shows alcohol-related road traffic accidents have fallen by 44%, fatal accidents by 53% and roadside breath test failures by 19% since 2000.
A YouGov poll of 2,039 people found the British public most commonly cited better town centre management (40%), a society less tolerant of anti-social behaviour (38%) and more effective partnership working between police, local authorities, communities and businesses (31%) as reasons for the decline.
Public respondents to the poll were most likely to name the police as being contributors to partnerships tackling alcohol-related crime in their local area (57%), followed by bars, pubs and restaurants (45%) and local authorities (36%).
The poll also questioned a sample of 302 police officers in England and Wales, who said the police force contribute to this partnership (77%), followed by local authorities (53%) and licensed premises such as bars, pubs and restaurants (51%).
The police officers surveyed cited better town centre management as the leading reason for the reduction in anti-social behaviour (42%), followed by police, local authorities, communities and businesses working together more effectively (41%) and society becoming less tolerant to anti-social behaviour (34%). 64% said that they felt effective partnership working between police, local authorities and licensed premises had increased over the last decade.
Key factors
Henry Ashworth, Portman Group chief executive, said: “This research confirms what those on the front line in combating alcohol harms have believed for years - that local partnerships are key to tackling crime and anti-social behaviour.
“A steady decline in binge-drinking in the last decade, alongside society becoming less tolerant of anti-social behaviour, better town centre management and partnership working between police, councils and licensed premises is creating safer and more vibrant town centres which is great news for local economies.
“It is in all our interests to continue to invest in partnerships and support these positive cultural shifts.”
Separate figures show that alcohol-related crime has declined by 21% in England and across all regions. The steepest decline is in the north east (33%), Yorkshire and the Humber (29%) and East Midlands (28%).
Responding to the regional variations in alcohol-related crime, the police officers surveyed cited lower standards of living (60%), weaker local economy e.g. limited employment opportunities (57%), a lack of education/ information about the risks of alcohol abuse (39%) and lack of an effective partnership between police, local authorities, communities and businesses (26%), as reasons for the higher rates of alcohol related crime in certain regions.