QuoteQuiz offer for disorderly drunks
Drunks who face a fine after being stopped by police are to be offered a Who Wants To Be a Millionaire-style quiz as a way to avoid a conviction.
South Wales Police is to trial the idea in Merthyr Tydfil and Rhondda Cynon Taf for those caught drunk and disorderly.
Instead of paying an £80 fixed penalty, they would pay £40 and sign up for a class on the impact of alcohol abuse.
They would use handsets to answer multiple choice questions, with the results displayed on a large screen.
The "diversion" pilot is thought to be the first of its kind in Wales.
It would only apply to people facing an on-the-spot fine, such as for rowdiness or use of bad language and not for criminal offences which would still be dealt with by arrest.
The South Wales forces said people who take up the offer would not have to have a conviction recorded on police databases, with the later consequences that can have for employment prospects or even for travel to some countries.
Chief Inspector Max Davies said the scheme aimed to target lower level problems and tackle the root causes of alcohol related anti-social behaviour.
He said: "We are all familiar with scenes of drunkenness in town centres on weekends and we have to start getting people to think about the consequences of this over-indulgence if we are to tackle this in the long term.
"Slapping a fine on a person is a quick fix but will it make them stop and think about changing their behaviour?
"We have to address the root causes of the problem if we are to see an end to our binge-drinking culture in the long-term."
The education sessions will be carried out in a classroom environment at two locations, with questions aiming to target the psychological, physical and social consequences of alcohol abuse.
The scheme was first piloted in Hertfordshire and two-thirds of the 216 people who took part later said they had cut their alcohol intake.
Rhondda Cynon Taf councillor John David, the cabinet member for communities and the joint chair of the RCT Community Safety Partnership, said: "This is a unique approach to dealing with crime and I hope our communities understand we are not giving offenders an easy way out.
"They will still receive a sanction for their crime, but will also be invited to really explore and consider the impact their behaviour has on others.
"A fine hits them where it hurts - the wallet - but we want people to understand and change their behaviour. "
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8080266.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8080266.stm)
Presumably they'll be given the option to drunk-dial a friend, go 50/60 or ask complete strangers.
I hate that law, the definition of disorderly is so fucked up and basically comes down to if the policeman is in a good mood or not.
I was hoping there was gonna be a quiz. :(
Quote from: DisturbedPervert on June 03, 2009, 09:24:55 AM
I was hoping there was gonna be a quiz. :(
1. How many quiz masters do you see? a) one, b) two, c) is he behind the pink elephants?
2. You have 14 Bacardi Breezers. Is this: a) binge drinking, b) a warm-up drink, c) for poufs?
3. You're caught short on a night out. Do you urinate: a) in the toilets of the nearest pub of restaurant, b) in an alley, c) over the arresting officer?
4. A woman calls your girlfriend a slag. Do you: a) take your girlfriend home home and cheer her up, b) slap the woman silly, c) sleep with her?
5. You're feeling sleepy after a night drinking. Do you: a) get a taxi home and sleep in bed, b) curl up on a park bench, c) start a fight so you have a cosy police cell to sleep in?
I don't want to study for a night out.
I see this as backfiring. I mean, all those people now will drink more and get all disorderly in order to get on the game show.
Quote from: PDH on June 03, 2009, 10:22:46 AM
I see this as backfiring. I mean, all those people now will drink more and get all disorderly in order to get on the game show.
"I haven't had a cunt all night, Drinkstable."