Police urge fans to enjoy the World Cup responsibly

Police urge fans to enjoy the World Cup responsibly

Police are encouraging football fans to make this World Cup the best yet and to enjoy it responsibly.

The last three major football tournaments have seen decreasing amounts of arrests, anti-social behaviour (ASB), and violent crimes in Cumbria (during the overall time period of each tournament):

	Arrests per day	ASB incidents per day	Violent crimes per day
Euro 2008	59.9	125.3	15.6
World Cup 2010	48.2	110.9	12.9
Euro 2012	38.2	68.0	12.8

Each tournament has also generally seen less arrests, ASB, and violent crimes, compared to the same time period the year before.

Superintendent Mark Pannone said:

“I am pleased to see that each major football tournament seems to be attracting less trouble in Cumbria, and I hope that this year’s World Cup is the best yet.

“We have plans in place to ensure that the World Cup is a safe and enjoyable time for football and non-football fans alike. We will have increased patrols during key games, and will be working closely with licensees to minimise the likelihood and impact of excessive drinking.

“We will be issuing advice over the coming weeks around not drinking to excess, not risking drink-driving the night of (or morning after) key matches, and raising awareness about domestic violence. Violence and anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated, and will be dealt with appropriately.

“We are looking forward to a really positive and enjoyable month, and I hope that the people of Cumbria will work with us to make the World Cup a great experience for everyone.”

Police across Cumbria will:

·         be on the streets early during key matches to meet and greet people and set the tone for the evening

·         be looking to intervene early to prevent drunken behaviour

·         ensure that police officers, special constables and PCSOs, are working in partnership with licensees

Dispersal orders will also be used where appropriate:

·         Section 27 (dispersal order for alcohol related disorder) will be used if necessary to ban people from a particular area for 48 hours