Extra Patrols On Merseyside To Cope With Christmas Party Season
Hundreds of extra police officers will be patrolling the streets of Merseyside as the Christmas Party season gets into full swing.
It's estimated that over the next fortnight..over 100'000 people will head into Liverpool City Centre alone to enjoy the festive season But with excessive drinking playing a part in the large proportion of the incidents the police deal with, officers are urging party-goers to take personal responsibility for how much they drink and their resulting behaviour. The warning comes after a study by the City Safe partnership – a partnership between the council, police and NHS – found a substantial drop in incidents of bars and off-licences being found to serve drunk customers, which is illegal. When a random selection of bars were dip sampled two years ago by actors going in pretending to be drunk, 84 per cent broke the law by serving them. This time around the number in breach dropped to 26 per cent. Superintendent Mark Wiggins who oversees the city centre and south Liverpool said the improved results showed licensed premises were taking note and now it was the public’s turn. He said: “Pubs and bars are now taking more responsibility in not serving people who are already drunk, more alcohol and this is playing a part in keeping the city centre a safe place for visitors to enjoy. Licensees have been made fully aware of the law and their responsibilities under the Licensing Act and have educated bar staff after what to do if someone comes to the bar intoxicated demanding a drink. “Now it’s time for the customers themselves to take on that responsibility themselves and watch what they drink so that their behaviour does not let them down and ruin an otherwise great night out. “Police officers will be a regular sight around the city and town centres of Merseyside at peak times this Christmas and we are there primarily to keep people safe while they are having a good time. “Most people will do exactly that and never need to speak to the police other than to ask for directions or pose for a photo. Sadly there is always a minority of people who do drink too much and risk committing a criminal offence such as urinating in the street, damaging something, or getting into an altercation with someone else. “Officers will be using body cams to record such behaviour when they come across it and this footage will provide unarguable evidence against that person whether they remember what they did the next morning or not. “My message to people on their Christmas nights out is this: enjoy yourselves, pace yourselves, take responsibility for your own behaviour and ensure you wake up the next morning with memories of a great night out with friends rather than regret and a sore head.”