Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen has welcomed plans to expand the use of alcohol tags throughout the World Cup to tackle alcohol harm and support rehabilitation.
The County Durham and Darlington PCC is joint national lead for Addictions and Substance Misuse on behalf of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) and is on the frontline of efforts to direct more offenders into treatment to break the cycle of offending.
As thousands of fans descend on Britain’s pubs and clubs to cheer on England in the tournament, the Government has announced it is stepping up the use of electronic tags to ensure the festivities pass peacefully and safely.
More than 7,000 criminals either released from prison or serving a community sentence will now wear alcohol tags throughout the tournament as part of the Government’s commitment to cutting booze-fuelled crime.
The tags work 24/7 and can quickly detect if an offender has been drinking by analysing their sweat frequently. This means they will not be able to partake in a celebration pint regardless of England’s fate in the tournament.
In the event an offender does have a drink, an alert is sent to their probation officer who can order them to return to court or prison.
Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen said: “I strongly back this measure. It’s an excellent way of incentivising offenders to maintain abstinence for their own recovery and rehabilitation needs and for the safety of our wider communities.
“Nationally, more than half of all violent crime is linked to alcohol. In the North East alone, alcohol-related crime and disorder costs £812.4m annually. It’s no surprise that alcohol incidents spike at the time of major world sporting events, which makes this additional intervention timely and welcomed.
“I wholeheartedly support the use of electronic alcohol tags to prevent and deter offending – a commitment in my Police, Crime and Justice Plan. Alongside effective community-based treatment and support, and custody-based testing, alcohol tags are proven to help offenders break destructive habits that fuel offending.”
Electronic alcohol tags are devices that are typically worn on the ankle and continuously test for alcohol consumption through the skin. They sample perspiration every 30 minutes to detect alcohol consumption, device removal or tampering.
