Marlon,

I agree it would need a lot of though over where to site one, and I like the idea of the Liverpool one using other agencies to help these people. The report does suggest that there was a decrease in ASB calls to the police but there are other things that would need to be done - such as the help towards treatment.

Unfortunately, whilst the report states other cities have had better success it doesn't say which cities. I'll try & do more googling & see if I can work out what those cities did differently.

Google is your friend ..

http://www.alcoholpolicy.net/street_drinking/

It seems the benefits are far from certain and it's an expensive scheme to set up and maintain.

I must admit (Powdermonkey) my initial thought was that whichever businesses end up next door to a new "wet space" probably won't be happy, with likely nuisance appearing on their doorstep.

The colleague didn't state which towns hence my post. I don't have any particular contacts with the council but it might be worth a suggestion and some enquiries. Who knows, I might get another certificate and a grip 'n' grin . . . sorry, much valued Divisional Commander's Award.

other towns had tried this? what other towns? actually, this could be worth a try. I have never heard of it but it sounds to me like you would need backing from the local COUNCIL. Powdermonkey do you havea working relationship with anybody on the local council?

Like most if not all towns and cities, where I work has a constant and sizeable problem with alcoholics drinking on the streets, church yards etc. There's the expected problems with littering of cans and bottles, vomit, urine and the upsetting of other members of the public and business owners. It seems a continuous battle moving them on, arresting, directions to leave, seizing alcohol etc that I wondered about a potentially permanent solution of a designated place for them.
Much as police forces have obtained funds to build skate parks for youths I thought about a set area for these drinkers to go. I envisioned a concreted area with benches, grids, shelters, toilets, waste bins. The drinkers could be told they could drink there, away from the main shopping areas etc in peace but nowhere else in the town centre. Every day the street cleaners could go in, empty the bins and swill every thing down (benches, toilets, floors the lot) with a high pressure hose into the grids. It would at least get the majority of drinkers there I think and save time having to search all the nooks and crannies of the town centre finding them.
Having had this brainstorm and feeling rather clever I mentioned it to a colleague who works the town centre. He told me that other towns had tried this, calling them "wet spaces" but they hadn't been successful.
Anyone come across these areas, what do they think and what stopped them being successful?