ARCH Initiatives Cymru have started a new service in the Caernarfon Police Custody Suite aimed at working with anyone arrested for an alcohol related offence in Gwynedd.
Made possible by funding from the Gwynedd Community Safety Partnership, ARCH Initiatives – a leading drug and alcohol charity – has been working hard alongside North Wales Police staff to provide any adult arrested for alcohol related crime in the county, providing them with information about the effects of alcohol and encouraging people to think about their drinking behaviour and how this has got them into trouble.
Around 23,000 alcohol-related incidents such as street fights, bar brawls, breaches of the peace and drunk and disorderly conduct take place in the UK every week. More than half of all violent crime is committed by offenders who are drunk and more than a third happens in and around pubs and clubs.
This new service from ARCH Initiatives Cymru is making headway in Gwynedd to tackle this issue and over the last six months has seen over 190 individuals arrested for alcohol related offences and provided advice, information and education about the impact of alcohol use to over 125 of these whilst they are detained in police custody. Over 80% of this group were arrested for alcohol fuelled violent offences and anti social behaviour. The majority being committed by young males aged between 18 and 30.
Supported by the Gwynedd Community Safety Partnership, a statutory partnership made up of various organisations including the Local Authority, Police, Health Board, Probation, Fire Service and others, this project is designed to ensure that young adults keep themselves safe and gain a better understanding of how their alcohol use contributed to their behaviour in a safe and sensible way and hopefully to reduce the burden on the emergency services and the local community. The Partnership has a three year strategy aimed at tackling substance misuse at various levels through from prevention to funding treatment services.
Catherine Roberts, Community Safety officer for Gwynedd Council said: “We work in partnerships with a number of organisations locally to tackle the misuse of alcohol and drugs. We know that the misuse of alcohol is a significant issue throughout the UK, and Gwynedd is no exception.
“This specific project is designed to give people the opportunity to engage with services when alcohol misuse has been identified as a factor in their arrest circumstances. We will be monitoring the outcome of the project.”
Steve Jones, Regional Director for ARCH Initiatives Cymru added: “This is an excellent opportunity to support the work of Gwynedd Community Safety Partnership making a difference for the communities of Gwynedd and tackling the problems they face with alcohol use and offending to create a safer place for everyone and improve everyone’s awareness about the effects of alcohol use.”
ARCH Initiatives Cymru is a registered charity working across North Wales with the aim of providing solutions to substance misuse by supporting individuals to achieve a substance-free life-style and break the cycle of drugs and crime.
For further information in relation to drug or alcohol misuse, visit: nwsmf.org.uk
