REPORT ON STREET DRINKING AND THE ALCOHOL EXCLUSION ZONE IN WINCHESTER

For Winchester City Council Community Safety Partnership and
Trinity Winchester

May 2006

Ian Davies – Project Worker for Trinity Winchester

EXTRACT

This Project was commissioned to conduct research into the engagement of Street Drinkers with appropriate services and the effects of the Alcohol Exclusion Zone (the AEZ), on them and other residents of the City of Winchester.

The project was to gather information and evidence that would identify the issues around Street Drinking in Winchester, along with the concerns of local residents. In doing so, it would help inform decisions regarding any possible extension of the AEZ and influence and support future service provision for substance dependent individuals.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

THE ALCOHOL EXCLUSION ZONE

There is little doubt that for the short period for which it has been in force, the Alcohol Exclusion Zone (AEZ) has been a success - at least by the measure of public perception - and it has a great deal of support. However, it has not yet been in effect for a full summer period and this perception may be affected by increased incentive for drinkers to be outdoors in the warmer weather.

Outside the zone, there remain areas of the city in which Street Drinking causes problems of nuisance both to residents and organisations. It is difficult to wholly attribute the problems in these areas to the process of displacement as a result of the city centre AEZ. It is more a case that there may have been increased concern in these areas since the introduction of the zone.

Problems caused by Street Drinking suggest it is desirable to extend the zone to include the area from North Walls to the far end of the Recreation Ground and from Hyde Abbey to Park Avenue. Residents in the King Alfred Terrace area and those accessing St Bedes School, the Riverside Leisure Centre and other recreational amenities, would benefit from the extra powers to deal with drinking this extension would bring. It would not however, solve all the problems encountered in this area – suspected drug dealing, loutish behaviour etc.

Street Drinking need not be tackled by use of the AEZ alone. There are specific areas that would benefit from particular and tailored approaches to discouraging drinking and each would need individual research. An example of a successful measure is that employed by a business in Swan Lane. Here the Richard Steele and Partners has discouraged use of its garaging by drinkers and rough sleepers by allowing local residents to park there outside of business hours.

STREET DRINKERS

Street Drinkers are few in number and most are well known to the Police. Most understand the nature of the AEZ and the extra powers that it gives the police. They also understand the effect that Street Drinking has on other people. However, this is mostly attributed not to the act of drinking in public, but to the effect of drinking in a group. This acknowledgement may open up the possibility of ‘Acceptable Behaviour Agreements’ for individuals and other self management approaches.

Street Drinkers drink in public because they enjoy doing so; either because it is pleasant to be outdoors or because it is easy to socialise with peers. It is sometimes preferred because it does not put at risk tenancy of accommodation where there are restrictions or rules governing drinking behaviour. The presence of the Alcohol Exclusion Zone has no effect on the desire or need to drink in public. Street Drinking occurs across the city centre but areas outside the zone are preferred. Within the zone Street Drinkers are careful to conceal their drinking as much as possible. It is likely that this pattern will continue if the zone is extended.

SERVICE ENGAGEMENT WITH STREET DRINKERS

Given that the AEZ helps tackle Street Drinking by way of extra powers of arrest, the fact that it does not wholly stop Street Drinking means that further action needs to be taken if Street Drinkers are not to be further displaced or ultimately begin to disregard the AEZ.

Street Drinkers do engage with services but some do not do so as frequently or regularly as to make it effective. It would appear, that the only real answer to this is for services to be more proactive in making contact with individuals concerned. This could be achieved in the following ways: -

Pro-active Outreach

This could help by breaking down mistrust and maintaining incentives to help service users cope with the rules that service engagement brings. Outreach would provide support and could be used to influence street drinking behaviour where it still causes concern. An outreach team available by phone to respond to incidents of street drinking would also raise the profile of services in the community as a whole.

Increased co-operation between agencies

The outreach provision may be a joint responsibility and would make use of facilities in all services.

A wet zone

This may be seen as anywhere drinking is tolerated. This could take many forms and indeed ‘wet provision’ may not be limited to one facility alone. It may include a day service, a night shelter and various parts of the city where street drinking is confined to a mutually acceptable location. The main objection to a wet zone comes from the Street Drinkers themselves. They claim it would encourage arguments and fighting because it would mean drinking in a group. It is clear that a safe wet zone would need to be a carefully managed facility, possibly attached to an existing service. National research shows that wet centres play a vital and effective role in working with street drinkers and other groups. The provision of such a service in some form should be encouraged in Winchester.

CONCLUSION

If the aims of the City of Winchester with regards its street drinking population are to prevent the nuisance they produce but also to help them as deserving members of the community then a ‘carrot and stick’ approach is advised using the variety of suggestions and recommendations above.

BACKGROUND, AIMS AND METHODOLOGY

BACKGROUND

The Homeless in Winchester

Figures for the number of people defined as homeless or engaging with support services to maintain them in accommodation of their own, are difficult to assess. However, an impression may be gained from the number of new people presenting at the Trinity Centre being around fifty each quarter. Trinity is only one of many services, including statutory and private organizations, which address the needs and problems associated with individuals in this situation. A proportion of these homeless people, (estimated as a result of this project’s research, to be around a dozen and no more than twenty maximum), use alcohol in outdoor public places within the city. There is a perception that whilst these individuals are vulnerable some do not appear to engage effectively with services currently available.

Street Drinking and the Alcohol Exclusion Zone

Street Drinking and associated behaviour creates concerns for safety, public health and the level of crime in the city. The knock on effect on the perceived image of the city held by residents or visitors may be detrimental to both the prosperity and social cohesion of the community. The Alcohol Exclusion Zone (AEZ) was introduced in July 2005 and was designed to address these concerns. It has been initially limited to the city centre and has been suspected of displacing street drinkers to other areas of the city.

Legislation

The Criminal Justice and Police Act of 2001 allowed Local Authorities to implement street drinking ban measures usually in the form of exclusion zones. In addition to existing powers of arrest for offences such as drunk and disorderly, an exclusion zone empowers police to:-

- Fine or arrest individuals who continue to drink in the zone when asked to stop.

- Confiscate sealed or unsealed alcohol and pour it away.

Exclusion zones do not make drinking an offence. It is the refusal to stop drinking when asked to do so by a Police Officer that is the offence. The Police can approach individuals if they are drinking in the zone and causing a nuisance. In Winchester the and is intended to allow the Hat Fair and other festivals to take place without fear of inoffensive drinking activity being confused with nuisance drinking. It has yet to be seen how this distinction works in practice.

Links with local strategies

This research project fits in with local Inclusion and Homelessness strategies, Hampshire Drug And Alcohol Team alcohol strategy and is pertinent to all health, inclusion and community safety.

AIMS

The aims of the research project are:

To identify the scope of Street Drinking in Winchester

To identify where Street Drinking is a problem for Winchester residents

To understand if the AEZ has created problems of displacement

To suggest direction toward solutions to displacement

To identify problems with service engagement with Street Drinkers

To suggest direction toward solutions to problems with engagement

DEFINITIONS

Street drinking Drinking alcohol anywhere in a public place not associated with a bar, club or pub.

Homeless All from rough sleepers to those housed temporarily

An alcohol problem. A level of continued alcohol consumption that has affected the social functioning of the drinker or those around them.

SCOPE

The research is confined to Central Winchester, but specifically the AEZ and its bordering areas.

Street drinking as defined above not loutish behaviour around and associated with pubs and clubs.

METHODOLOGY

Research was made into Street Drinking in central Winchester by homeless Street Drinkers through questionnaires for service providers, service users and residents / other interested parties. A questionnaire was also devised for Police Officers as the views of service users began to suggest a bias of opinion in the project. Crime figures and other statistical data were used where available but little information was relevant or lent itself to statistical analysis. The problem is one of qualifiable perceptions and opinions more than quantifiable data. So consultation was made as widely as was practical. Patterns of views and opinions were identified and analysis made of them. This follows in the next section.

Finally, research into the experience of other cities and the problems of street drinkers informed the analysis.

QUESTIONNAIRE ANALYSIS

SERVICE USERS

Service Users known to be Street Drinkers were interviewed when ever possible and in accordance with lone working policies. They were asked questions around personal circumstances, their views and experiences with the AEZ and on Street Drinking in general.

Demographics

Mostly male, ages between 20 and 50, almost all have been in Winchester for more than 4 years. Half were Rough Sleeping, others were in temporary or permanent accommodation. All were long term unemployed. Half had completed education to age 16 though few had GCSEs or equivalents.

The Alcohol Exclusion Zone

All but one were currently street drinking, all were aware of the AEZ and half were aware of plans to extend it. Most stated they had been stopped in the AEZ up to 4 times and had had alcohol confiscated. Only one claimed to have been fined or arrested. Two said they had been asked to stop drinking when outside the zone. How the zone had affected them varied but most stated that an extension to the zone would not mean any change for them. Generally there was evidence that a persecution complex existed especially among those with criminal backgrounds - The story that Police had not approached picnickers in the Cathedral grounds seemed to be well known and was a cause for feelings of resentment.

Housing History

All had experienced homelessness with half having been in this situation in the last three years. Half were currently in accommodation and all of these said that they felt they had a secure tenancy. Three had slept rough in the last three years with one habitually doing so to the point of preferring to sleep outdoors.

Health and engagement

The number of respondents was too low to suggest trends in engagement with services. However, some features of the information available were of interest. The two who regularly attended a needle exchange had never attended Ruperts. Those who said they had a mental health problem also said they had never attended Connaught House. Most regularly attended their GP and engagement with other services appears to be on the basis of a medical need with attendance affected by structured timetabling. Most had never attended the Night Shelter. As might be expected all stated they had an alcohol problem with all either stating they drank more than they should in a day or over a week or advising of consumption of up to 8 cans of lager per day. Almost all had started drinking under the age of 16. Reasons for starting drinking varied but social influences were often cited. All those who were currently homeless said their public drinking would probably reduce if they were in accommodation. However those who were in accommodation said it had not affected their drinking habits. Only four said they had been admitted to Accident & Emergency or Hospital and the same four said they had been through Detoxification or Rehabilitation in the last three years.

Public Drinking

All stated that drinking in public could be intimidating to others particularly if drunkenness had lead to aggression. All suggested in some way that this intimidation was felt because of social attitude and a fear of the ‘unknown’. Suggested ways of changing this fear were varied and ranged from education to getting a better understanding to simply drinking more covertly. Only two said they thought they had behaved in a way intimidating to the public and both suggested it was appearance rather than behaviour that had been at fault. Those in accommodation said they continued to street drink for social reasons with one saying drinking with friends in their accommodation would put their tenancy at too much risk. When asked where they drank in public there was little difference between summer and winter except that warmer places would be sought in winter. Most drinkers stated they would drink wherever they liked favouring open public spaces and suggested that the zone had made them more discrete about their drinking.