Framework for preventing and reducing alcohol-related offending and victimisation 2010 - 2014

Commissioner’s foreword

I am pleased to introduce New Zealand Police’s framework for preventing and reducing alcohol-related offending and victimisation: 2010 to 2014.

This framework sets our principles and focus around alcohol issues for Police for the next five years.

Since the launch of the Police Alcohol Action Plan in 2006 there has been significant increases in Police’s effort and enforcement to reduce alcohol-related harm. Even with this additional focus, alcohol is still the drug that most impacts on offending and victimisation in New Zealand and therefore causes the most problems for Police.

Police will continue our commitment to work in partnership with the community, other government agencies, non-government organisations and industry bodies to reduce alcohol-related harm. This framework also reconfirms the growing emphasis on pro-active and preventative measures by Police to reduce alcohol-related harm, reduce the number of victims and provide value for money initiatives.

The aims of this framework will be implemented by a Police Alcohol Control Strategy.

Howard Broad
Commissioner of Police

Contents

• The impact of alcohol misuse on policing and New Zealand
• Our aim
• What Police has achieved so far
• Police focus
• Strategic context
• Police Alcohol Control Strategy–Introduction
• Police Alcohol Control Strategy–Summary
• Measuring success

The impact of alcohol misuse on policing and New Zealand

Alcohol is the most commonly used recreational drug in New Zealand. New Zealand’s National Drug Policy recognises the considerable health, social and economic costs caused by alcohol misuse.

A significant proportion of police work involves alcohol-related incidents. This includes many aspects of policing, including violent offending, homicides, drink driving, family violence, accommodating intoxicated people in our cells and incidents or offending involving young people.

At least a third of all Police recorded offences are committed by an offender who has consumed alcohol prior to committing the offence.

 

Our aim

The aim and outcomes of New Zealand Police’s framework to reduce alcohol-related harm:
 

• “To prevent and reduce alcohol-related offending and victimisation”
  • Greater knowledge of alcohol-related problems and issues
  • Safer communities
  • Effective interventions and enforcement
  • Building partnerships

The outcomes of this strategy will be delivered through five main areas of activity –
Prevention, Intelligence, Enforcement, Reassurance and Support (PIERS):

Prevention

Police actions that will prevent and further reduce alcohol problems including problem solving in partnership with communities

Intelligence

Police actions that will improve our knowledge and understanding of alcohol problems or issues

Enforcement

Police actions that will directly impact on alcohol problems and issues through the deployment of Police resources

Reassurance

Police actions that will improve public confidence in our ability to deal with alcohol problems or issues

Support

Police actions that will improve non operational areas of policing in supporting our aims and strategies (e.g. training).

What Police has achieved so far

Since the launch of the Police Alcohol Action Plan in 2006 there have been significant increases in Police’s enforcement levels of many alcohol-related activities. These include:

• The number of compliance checks of licensed premises has increased, with 15,041 visits undertaken in 2008/09
• A 53% increase in the number of enforcement applications made to the Liquor Licensing Authority for the cancellation/suspension/variation of licences or manager certificates (516 Police applications in 2006 increased to 787 applications in 2009)
• The number of licensed premises checked through a Controlled Purchase Operation increased by 64% between 2004/05 and 2008/09. This has resulted in improved compliance by licensed premises, with a decrease in the percentage failure rate (licensed premises which sold to the minor) from 28% in 2005/06 to 15% in 2008/09
• Since 2005/06 there have been approximately 1,500 additional breach of liquor ban offences per annum, with 11,081 recorded offences in 2008/09
• The number of breath tests undertaken by Police has doubled between 2006 and 2009 (1.6 million breath tests in 2006 up to 3.3 million in 2009).

The use of high quality alcohol-related intelligence and data is now routinely used within Police, especially since the introduction of Police’s Alco-link system.

Police continues to be a part of many strong partnerships reducing alcohol-related harm at both the national and local level. These partnerships have initiated and tested new ways of reducing alcohol-related harm.

 

Police focus

There will be a particular focus for Police on a number of key activities and principles that fit within the PIERS framework:

Prevention

Police will continue to use preventative measures to reduce alcohol-related harm and offending. These will include:

• Collaborating with partner agencies to run well targeted controlled purchase operations;
• Working with the hospitality industry to address and mitigate alcohol issues; and
• Identifying opportunities for Police to further work with the social sector to reduce alcohol-related harm.

 

Intelligence

Since the introduction of Police’s Alco-link system, which identifies offenders to the locations of their most recent alcohol consumption, Police is better able to identify alcohol problems and implement appropriate solutions. Police will continue to ensure that high quality alcohol-related data and intelligence is used and appropriately shared with key partner agencies.

 

Enforcement

Police will continue to strongly enforce alcohol-related legislation, using enforcement activities to target issues such as drink driving, drinking in public and compliance with liquor licensing legislation.

The Graduated Response Model (GRM) remains the operating framework for Police’s liquor licensing work. This recognises that Police are required to prioritise their monitoring and enforcement of licensed premises due to their sheer numbers and data shows a significant proportion of harm occurs from a small minority of licensed premises. It also recognises that compliance with liquor legislation can be achieved through dialogue with licensed premises, as well as through enforcement action when breaches occur.

 

Reassurance

Police will continue to work in partnership with communities to identify alcohol issues and appropriate solutions. This will include appropriate alcohol-related initiatives designed for and by members of specific population groups.

 

Support

Police will work in partnership will both local and national partners to prevent and reduce alcohol-related harm. This work will include:

• Multi-agency compliance checks of licensed premises;
• Support for Maori Warden groups and Community Patrols;
• Taking a lead or contributing to Alcohol Accords and other liquor liaison groups; and
• Working with territorial local authorities, including assisting in the development of local alcohol policies.

Police will continue to increase the capacity of our workforce to address alcohol-related issues through appropriate training and support. The sharing of best practice and evaluations of alcohol-related initiatives will continue.

Strategic context

Police’s framework for preventing and reducing alcohol-related harm will contribute to
the following:

• New Zealand Police’s Statement of Intent 2009/11–2011/12
• New Zealand Police’s Road Policing Strategy
• New Zealand Police’s Community Policing Strategy 2008
• New Zealand’s National Drug Policy 2007-2012
• ALAC’s Strategic Direction 2008-2013
• Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency–Alcohol Misuse Strategy
• World Health Organisation Global Alcohol Strategy.

Police Alcohol Control Strategy–Introduction

The Police Alcohol Control Strategy is a practical, action focused document to direct Police efforts to reduce alcohol-related harm. This document will set out Police’s plan of action to reduce alcohol-related harm.

The table on page 7 summarises the key elements of the Alcohol Control Strategy.

Police Alcohol Control Strategy–Summary

The below table provides a summary of the Police Alcohol Control Strategy (Restricted Document).

Strategic Aim: To prevent and reduce alcohol-related offending and victimisation
Prevention	Intelligence	Enforcement	Reassurance	Support
Outcomes to meet the strategic aim			Summary of activities that will achieve these outcomes
Safer communities	Reduced levels of alcohol-related offending and victimisation and increased perceptions of public safety. Particular emphasis given to reducing public place violence and alcohol-related road trauma.		Police will undertake preventative activities such as high visibility patrols, quality licence premises compliance checks and will effectively use Police’s Graduated Response Model.
Greater knowledge of alcohol-related problems and issues	An increase in Police’s collection and use of alcohol-related intelligence and to influence external agencies capabilities to collect alcohol-related intelligence.		Police will effectively use our Alco-link data to assist in targeting Police resources.
Effective interventions and enforcement	Police’s approach to reducing alcohol-related offending and victimisation is improved through effective interventions, problem solving and enforcement.		Police will run initiatives that assist alcohol-related offenders getting into treatment services and will undertake communication activities regarding Police efforts to reduce alcohol-related harm.
Building partnerships	Partnerships at the local, regional and national level are established, maintained or enhanced to jointly reduce alcohol-related offending and victimisation.		Police will work effectively with key national and local stakeholders to maximise cross-agency action to reduce alcohol-related harm. Good practice will be shared well within Police and with external partners.
Oversight
Assistant Commissioner Specialist Operations has the responsibility for the strategic oversight and monitoring of the Police Alcohol Control Strategy. The Police Executive Committee, District Commanders, National Managers, and Service Centre Managers will be responsible for aligning their business practices to the Alcohol Control Strategy.

Measuring success

Police will put in place a monitoring system for this framework. Our progress will be tracked by measuring our outputs that impact on the overall outcome. These outputs are linked to intermediate indicators which are indicative of Police’s preventative and enforcement efforts. The final outcome of reducing alcohol-related offending and victimisation is the aim for this framework. It is important to note that policing is but one contributor to the final outcome, with wider issues such as alcohol availability and New Zealand’s drinking culture playing significant roles.

 

Published by New Zealand Police
PO Box 3017, Wellington