Shrop-CAP project launches proxy purchase patrols in run up to Christmas

Local police and community officers will be out and about talking to customers at off-licences and supermarkets in Bridgnorth, Oswestry and Whitchurch as part of a bid to tackle underage drinking.

The aim of the scheme is to reduce proxy purchases of alcohol – where an adult purchases alcohol and supplies it to young people under the age of 18.  

The joint patrols are part of a wider project led by Shropshire’s Community Alcohol Partnership (Shrop-CAP), a multi-agency partnership set up to reduce underage drinking and the problems associated with it.  The partnership comprises of Shropshire’s drug and alcohol action team, West Mercia Police, and Shropshire Council’s positive activities and trading standards teams.

The project has been developed thanks to £90,000 funding from Baroness Newlove, the Government’s Champion for Active, Safer Communities, and focuses on the parks and surrounding areas in Bridgnorth, Oswestry and Whitchurch, which had been identified as having seasonal issues around underage drinking and associated anti-social behaviour.

Supplying alcohol to under-18s is a criminal offence, and those caught could face a hefty £5,000 fine.  The joint patrols will be talking to customers about the legalities of passing on alcohol to under-18s and the criminal consequences, of what some consider a relatively harmless act – in spite of the obvious dangers and risks associated with alcohol in young hands. 

Steve Charmley, Chair of Shrop-CAP and Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member with responsibility for public protection, said:

“Adults buying alcohol for under-18s is an ongoing problem.  With youngsters finding it increasingly difficult to buy alcohol themselves as shops tighten their procedures, they are turning to adults to buy alcohol for them.

“People really need to think twice before buying alcohol for young people; not only do their actions pose potential dangers for the young person, but to the wider public, as most anti-social behaviour which blights our communities is alcohol-related.  It is believed that it is not widely known that it is an offence to buy alcohol for a minor, and our joint patrols are part of our project to increase awareness of this offence.  By working in partnership, we can all play a part in minimising risks to young people and the damage caused to communities by alcohol-related anti-social behaviour.

“Our joint proxy purchase patrols are just one example of the work Shrop-CAP is undertaking to bring about a change in attitudes towards underage drinking.”

Many retailers work very closely with Shropshire Council’s trading standards and the police to prevent children from getting hold of alcohol.  Proxy purchase flyers and information around the legal consequences of passing alcohol onto younger people, will also be distributed by shops and off licences to all customers aged 18-25 purchasing alcohol.

Chief Inspector Sarah Wagstaff, of West Mercia Police, said:

“The patrols will highlight the associated dangers when youngsters under 18 consume alcohol, and also target those who supply drink to them.

“In the run up to Christmas, many young people will be going out with friends, perhaps attending parties or functions.  We would urge under-18s not to attempt to buy alcohol, and neither should they ask an older friend or sibling to purchase drink for them.

“Those buying alcohol for under-18s are not only breaking the law and risking a criminal record, but more importantly are putting the health and safety of young people at risk.  Supplying alcohol to juveniles is making them particularly vulnerable, increasing the possibility of them becoming a victim or even committing a crime themselves.” 

She said the police were responsible for upholding the law, but parents needed to take responsibility for their children, ensuring they were not consuming alcohol when out.

“We will enforce the law and prosecute anyone found supplying alcohol to those under the age of 18.  We will also continue working with our partner agencies in promoting education and health messages to help protect young people.”

Local schools are also supporting the campaign and are informing pupils and parents of proxy purchase issues.  Shropshire Council’s positive activities team, along with the voluntary sector youth agencies, are also speaking with and working with young people as part of the project to help tackle underage drinking.

For more information about the scheme contact Shrop-CAP on 01743 254372 or visit our blog at http://shropcap.wordpress.com/.  You can also follow us on twitter at http://twitter.com/shropcap.

If you or someone you know is concerned about anti-social behaviour in your neighbourhood then please call our anti-social behaviour report it line on 0345 678 9020.  All calls will be treated in confidence. 

Further information

It is an offence to buy alcohol on behalf of a person under the age of 18 (s149 of Licensing Act 2003).

Shropshire was 1 of just 10 councils in England to have been awarded the £90,000 of the £1million funding from Baroness Newlove, the Government’s Champion for Active, Safer Communities to help give local neighbourhoods the tools to address underage drinking and associated anti-social behaviour.  The ten successful projects range from countywide and whole cities programmes, to projects targeting specific neighbourhoods.

In Shropshire the project will initially focus on three public parks in the county which have seasonal summertime issues around underage drinking and associated anti-social behaviour.  These parks include:

• Cae Glas Park in Oswestry
• Jubilee Park in Whitchurch
• Crown Meadow in nBridgnorth. 

Shrop-CAP have already set up local Community Alcohol Partnership (CAP) groups for each locality, which include Bridgnorth Community Alcohol Partnership,(B-CAP), Whitchurch Community Alcohol Partnership,(W-CAP) and the already-established Oswestry Community Alcohol Partnership,(Os-CAP), to address the specific issues in their area.

Each CAP group will be working with retailers to confiscate alcohol from minors, tackle proxy buying (when a person aged 18 or over buys alcohol on behalf of an underage person), and work with young people on developing positive park-based activities.  

The objectives of the scheme are to:

• reduce the public perception of underage drinking measured through face-to-face surveys
• reduce the quantity of alcohol-related litter
• increase the number of police alcohol seizures
• increase the percentage of trading premises trained on preventing underage and proxy purchases
• reduce the number of young people attempting to purchase alcohol from off-licences. 

The funding will be allocated to each park depending on the specific needs of each area. Activities could include:

• Training, including Licencing and Challenge 25, being made available to licensees
• Test purchase operations
• Joint enforcement (police, licencing, trading standards) patrols to increase public reassurance and engagement, and provide support to the alcohol trade
• Alcohol education and awareness sessions with young people, parents and the community as a whole
• Alcohol confiscations from minors linked into further support for vulnerable young people and concerned parents
• Detached diversionary youth activities which will focus upon park-based positive activities for young people 
• Work to bring together a shared understanding and tolerance of all park users, including young people and local residents
• Proxy purchase campaigns.