POLICE WARN PUBLIC THAT VIOLENCE WILL NOT BE TOLERATED THIS FESTIVE SEASON

Cumbria Constabulary are warning potential offenders that violent behaviour on nights out will not be tolerated this Christmas.

This is part of the new hard-hitting police campaign ‘Do The Right Thing’, which tells potential violent and sexual offenders to ‘Do The Right Thing’ or face the consequences of their actions.

With Christmas fast approaching, pubs and clubs across Cumbria are becoming busier with people enjoying themselves and often consuming more alcohol than normal.

Extra officers will be out on patrol on key dates, including ‘Festive Friday’, which is the last Friday before Christmas and falls on the 19^th December this year. It has traditionally been a popular night out in towns across Cumbria, and there is sometimes a corresponding rise in alcohol fuelled violence and disorder.

In the last few years there has been a reduction in the number of Drunk and Disorderly arrests, however the number of assaults have remained around the same:

	D&D Arrests	Assault without injury	Assault ABH
2013 (20th December)	9	6	14
2012 (21st December)	14	10	9
2011 (23rd December)	16	5	14

Assistant Chief Constable Steve Johnson said, “I want everyone who goes on a night out in Cumbria this December to have a safe and enjoyable night. We will not tolerate anyone who cannot control their tempers once they have had a couple of drinks spoiling the night for other people.

“I would urge anyone who has the potential to become aggressive or violent when they get drunk to ‘do the right thing’ and ‘think before they drink’.

“Cumbria is one of the safest places in England to enjoy a night out with friends and family, and we are committed to keeping it that way. It is only a minority who become involved in violence or disorder, and by providing extra officers we are able to monitor situations and intervene before they escalate.

“Our campaign this year is warning everyone to ‘do the right thing’ and not become involved in violent situations, and report any violent or abusive behaviour you may witness to the police. Even if someone is being confrontational with you they are never ‘asking for it’, and there is no excuse for assaulting someone. If you feel someone is being aggressive or acting unreasonably, please report it to an officer or security staff.

“We want everyone to enjoy the festive season in a safe and responsible manner. Don’t end up with a Christmas to regret.”

Police and Crime Commissioner, Richard Rhodes, said, “It is important that everyone enjoys Christmas responsibly I will be joining police patrols in Whitehaven and Barrow on Festive Friday and will see first-hand the challenges that the police have to deal with that could have been so easily avoided if people ‘Did the Right Thing’.”

Anyone who is a victim of a crime or sees any suspicious activity should call Cumbria Police on 101.

For more information on the Do The Right Thing campaign please visit: www.cumbria.police.uk/dotherightthing

For more information on the Think Before You Drink campaign please visit: www.cumbria.police.uk/alcohol 

For more information on the One Punch Can Ruin Two Lives campaign please visit: www.cumbria.police.uk/onepunch