Licensing Boards have the power to make Bye-laws under section 38 of the 1976 Act. Before bye-laws made by a licensing board can have effect, they must first be confirmed by the Secretary of State. Concern was raised at the Conference over the proliferation of local bye-laws and the inconsistency from one area to another, which has resulted from the different approaches being adopted by individual licensing boards. This can create enforcement as well as other difficulties. However difficult it may be to define the precise nature of the relationship between alcohol and crime, few would deny that there is a strong link between excessive drinking and crime.
Many persistent offenders have a lifestyle which includes alcohol misuse.
Many drink-related offences take place at or near licensed premises. ACAP recognises this needs to be tackled on many different levels and by a range of different agencies. The introduction of bye-laws to prohibit drinking in public places is being used by a number of local authorities. The police, the courts, the prison service and local authority criminal justice services are all called into play when dealing with alcohol related crime and it is important to consider how best to make most effective use of these efforts. ACAP agrees that appropriate provision within the criminal justice system to assist those with alcohol problems will reduce the likelihood of their re-offending and measures to encourage sensible drinking as contributing to crime prevention generally.