Breath-testing ploy winning war on under-age drinking

Aug 14 2008 by Richard Evans, North Wales Weekly News

POLICE have hailed a breath-testing scheme targeting youngsters in the Colwyn Bay area a success and claim crime has been reduced.

Operation Boozebuster equipped officers with testing strips and introduced voluntary testing of youths in areas where teenagers congregate and drink alcohol.

The scheme allowed youths suspected of under-age drinking to be asked to take the test and then escorted home to their parents if the test proved booze had been consumed.

North Wales Police says the scheme has seen a 21% reduction in all types of crime between January and July compared to the same period last year, equating to 211 fewer victims of crime in the East Conwy county area.

And since the breathalysers were introduced in March monthly levels of alcohol-related crime are reported to have fallen in Colwyn Bay every month other than June.

Police report a 29% reduction in alcohol-related crime, a 50% reduction in juvenile offences and 61% reduction in crime following a dispersal order introduced in May in both Colwyn Bay and Old Colwyn.

There was also a 54% fall in violent crime and a 69% fall in criminal damage.

Insp Jane Banham said: “I am really encouraged by these figures which show tackling under-age drinking in a proactive manner is effective and has a positive impact upon crime and disorder in the area, improving the quality of lives for residents who have been affected by anti-social behaviour and been the victims of crime,” she said.

“We will continue to tackle these problems robustly.”

Anyone wishing to report an incident can contact North Wales Police on 0845 607 1001 for the Welsh line or 0845 607 1002 for the English line.

richard.evans