BOOZE-FUELLED thugs in the borough are wasting police time.
Figures reveal nearly a third of all violent crimes in Rugby borough are alcohol-related, and Warwickshire Police is now taking steps to crack down on the problem.
Senior officers are concerned at the drain on force resources with officers increasingly having to be pulled off other duties to tackle violent crime.
Ch Supt Martin McNevin, Head of Territorial Policing in Warwickshire, said: “A considerable amount of police time continues to be spent dealing with alcohol-related incidents, both in public and in people’s homes.
“The time we spent responding to these reports is time that could have been used patrolling our communities, preventing crime, catching criminals and protecting people from harm.
“It is the minority who don’t know how to behave after they have had a few drinks and it is these people who need to start to take responsibility for their actions.”
Of the 740 violent crimes recorded in the borough in the past year – alcohol was a factor in 224 of them.
Warwickshire Police is looking to tackle the problem head on, starting with special patrols which will visit pubs and clubs to ensure they are operating according to their licenses.
And they will also be looking to spread the message among student populations, with the start of the new term, on the dangers of drinking too much, while also offering advice to help reduce their chances of falling victim to crime.
