Why aren't more people arrested for being drunk and out of control on the street?

Question

Do you think a law of being drunk in public would be a good one.

Answer 1

Because we get accused of assaulting people
Because we're so short staffed and busy dealing with domestics and kids we haven't the manpower
e.t.c. e.t.c. e.t.c.

I couldn't nick a drunk yesterday because there wasn't any assistance available

Answer 2

Okay, so the fuzz arrive outside a pub where there is a punch-up going on involving several drunks. The fuzz know they already have 15 drunks in the cells back at the fuzz-shop and there's room for only a couple more. They're not going to arrest too many more people then. Once arrested and charged, people are usually held overnight [drunks] to sober up before going into court the following morning.

It's all to do with room space really. In England, the fuzz would rather people separated out and just went home. Most of the people have not actually committed a crime as such, they're just drunk.

I do not think it should ever be a crime in England to be drunk. Drunk and disorderly yes, we've got that. But plain and simple drunk and trying to get home should never be a criminal offence. Such a law would be spat upon and disobeyed and in any event the police would be unable to enforce it. How are the police to behave at their annual Policeman's Ball? If people cannot get drunk occasionally, then they will probably not bother going out. Bang. There goes the economy.

Answer 3

The answer is that there ARE laws against being drunk and disorderly.
In the UK the Public Order Act states that it is illegal to be intoxicated in a public place, cause a disturbance or drink alcohol anywhere but specifed places such as outside bars or temporary events such as concerts.
There would be massive problems though if every drunk and disorderly person was arrested.
Firstly is the logistics- you would need a LOT of police officers simply to police such a task, anywhere up to triple the current amount. In Newcastle where I am, there may only be 150 police officers for 20,000 people on an average Friday night clubbing night.
Also there is the problem of cells- most police stations have only a dozen or so cells, and these are needed for every arrest made by police, and many arrests result in the person being detained for anywhere between 24-96 hours dependant on offense and also the discretion of the chief constable/magistrate. Simply, more cells would be needed.
Also is the adminstrative side of it. The average arrest creates 68 pieces of paper to be completed and signed, in comparision with 8-10 for a ticket. Such paper work would be contrary to proper operation of the police.
Also is the seriousness of the offence. It is only a minority of drunk people who cause any real problems. The grand majority of the people on Friday night go out and come back with little problem other than unsteady on their feet and the hangover.
So I believe that the present ticketing system is adequate.

Answer 4

In Britain, there are a number of laws covering this (none in the Public Order Act, despite whats written above). The two main ones are, Being drunk & disorderly, and the other is 'drunk in a public place' (this is drunk & incapable - unable to walk basically)
there is also, drunk in charge of a bicycle: in charge of a carriage: in charge of cattle/horse etc. they are all arrestable, and as you can see from the odder ones, tend to date from Victorian times. Police are a bit hesitant to take drunks into the cells, as they can end up watching them to make sure they dont choke on their own vomit etc. It is uncommon to allow prisoners to share cells in Britain (ie no drunk taks like in the USA), due to problems in the past with assaults etc. Its also interesting that in Law, Police Officers are recognised experts in drunkeness for court purposes....if a cop says youre drunk, you are!

Answer 5

In the UK its called Drunk and Disorderly, the poodles idea was for the Police to arrest them and march them to the nearest cash machine and to pay an on the spot fine £80. So as not to bother the courts. Then he openned the pubs 24 hours a day to cut down on binge drinking.Great you can now binge all day and night instead of all day and half the night.

Answer 6

There are Laws for being drunk in public they just aren't as strictly enforced as driving drunk because you are far less likely to hurt someone other than yourself. I don't mean to sound crude....but alcohol provides lots of taxes for big cities, lots of taxes that pay lots of cops salaries. So long as you aren't making an **** out of yourself and you're walkin home from a night at the bar who cares. But in most cases if you are acting a fool, and even more so if you're a regular at it, then you will get a ticket for D.I.P. It's 75 bucks in the state of virginia and it's on your permanent record. Which doesn't look very good.

Answer 7

Have you seen them in the town centres on a weekend theres hundreds of them in the same state if they arrested them all where do you think they could put them
and there is a law about being drunk and disorderly or incapable

Answer 8

Public Intoxication or Drunk and Disorderly.

Watch cops some time, you'll see lots of people arrested. There was this great episode with these two women in Alaska. (Laughing thinking about it now.)

Answer 9

And you can expect less after recent events too. I expect many officers will be thinking twice about getting involved and using their trained techniques (hammer fist strike - Home Office approved) when someone is deliberatley grabbing their balls, punching them and resisting arrest. Do you know how much officers get paid to roll around in sh*t and act as a punch bag for scum like that? Not enough.

Answer 10

because it suits this government to allow anarchy on the streets, they have an agenda to destroy what has been the strength of Britain, family, the law,the middle income bracket,
tax 'em, fine'em, road price 'em, speed camera 'em, make 'em pay for so called global warming,cut payments to local authorities so that they can be controlled by their agenda
and don't lock anybody up no matter how heinous the crime
(rape a 90 year old lady, community service) emasculate the police with pc directives, destroy the armed forces, no opposition, fight the lib/left agenda and they will destroy you.