Together with the Home Office, the council’s Safe in the City partnership are jointly hosting a conference to share best practice about tackling alcohol related crime and disorder in seaside towns.
The conference was quickly oversubscribed with councils from as far afield as Wales, Scarborough and Cornwall signing up.
Councillor Dee Simson, cabinet member for community safety, said: “The popularity of the conference shows that ensuring people’s safety while out at night is a top priority in towns and cities up and down the country.
“The conference will provide an opportunity for staff working on the front line to network and share the things that have worked in their areas. Brighton & Hove has Beacon status for our work but we are not complacent. We all face similar challenges, so we are looking forward to learning from what other authorities are doing.”
Brighton & Hove City Council works with Sussex Police, the local health authorities, the Business Crime Reduction Partnership, licensees, transport operators and the voluntary sector.
Last year the partnership was recognised for its package of measures to manage drinking and licensed premises in the city centre, including firm enforcement, providing alternative activities to drinking, working with young people, and improving late night public transport.
The conference will discuss how to work with licensees and ensure licence conditions are enforced, tackling violent crime, alcohol-related harm and disorder and making partnerships work.
Measures used in Brighton & Hove include:
- Football-style yellow warning cards for troublemakers
- A radio system linking licensed premises
- High-profile policing; Operation Marble sees the police and police community support officers in high-visibility jackets in city centre hot-spots from 8pm
- Safe Space; a drop-in centre in West Street for distressed people
- Operation Park; tackling underage drinking and antisocial behaviour in public places.
The conference: Tackling alcohol related violence and disorder in coastal towns will be held on Thursday, 4 March, 2010, at The Grand Hotel, Brighton.
Find out more about the council's work in managing the night time economy