Experts come together to 
fight alcohol-related crime

Experts in domestic violence, anti-social behaviour, emergency medicine and York’s night-time economy together with York Council’s crime partners and members of residents’ associations, will be discussing the effects of binge drinking and those who drink in public and abuse alcohol, on crime and anti-social behaviour in the city.

Over 70 people are expected to attend the half-day event at the Merchant Taylor’s Hall on Thursday where they will hear keynote speakers including Coun Dafydd Williams, York Council’s cabinet member for crime and safer communities, and Jane Mowat, the council’s head of community safety.

For the first time, health partners will attend, including Gill Kelly, A&E consultant at York Hospital and Tom Kelly, a consultant in public health, who will present their research into alcohol-related attendance and admissions to hospital in York and the impact this has upon NHS resources.

Delegates will also include representatives from the community and voluntary sector, housing associations, York University, North Yorkshire Police, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and the probation service.

Coun Williams said the summit, being held for a second time, was “a chance to recognise that alcohol and its misuse cuts across most areas of crime in the city and that by working even more effectively together, we can tackle this problem”.

He said that the summit would generate better relationships to tackle alcohol-related crime – often connected to incidents such as traffic accidents, domestic violence and anti-social behaviour.

Findings and feedback from the event will be shared with the Safer York Partnership’s board meeting in the summer, and will help refresh the partnership’s community safety plan.

Delegates will be asked to contribute to workshops themed around anti-social behaviour, domestic abuse and hospital attendances and admissions.

Also attending will be the council’s director of public health, Dr Paul Edmondson-Jones, together with members of other council teams, including trading standards.