EVERYONE must work together to address the growing problem of alcohol and drugs.
That was the message from the office of the West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner at a crime panel meeting this week.
Business manager Chris Jensen told elected officials from across the force area they needed to work with all partners from across local authorities and the community to reduce not only the numbers of crimes committed as a result of drinking or substance misuse, but also other problems such as health issues.
He said: “We need to be thinking about education and awareness of residents. This is a broader kind of issue than just the criminality element of it.
“We have got to work with partners to come up with a strategy and help deliver better outcomes.”
As part of a crackdown on both issues, the PCC has pledged to reduce the volume of violent crime with an emphasis on addressing the harm caused by alcohol and to reduce harm caused by drugs with a focus on treatment and targeting those who cause most problems.
In South Worcestershire, incidents of violence against a person – with most of these taking place on Friday and Saturday evenings and involving alcohol – has risen from under 1,200 in February to around 1,400 in August, September and October this year – the highest level since autumn 2012.
A ‘problem profile’ is currently being put together which will help organisations identify where and when crimes take place to enable them to assess if their responses are adequate.
The profile is expected to be released before the end of the year.
