Chamber Backs Derbyshire Police Christmas Campaign

Derbyshire and Nottingha,mshire Chamber of Commerce is backing a new campaign by Derbyshire Police aimed at reducing the number of alcohol-related physical and sexual assaults during the festive period.

The campaign, which runs between 1st and 31st December, is being led by Operation Diamond, a team of officers set up to tackle such offences in Derby, South Derbyshire and Erewash.

It has been launched ahead of the Christmas and New Year party season, when there is typically an increase in people drinking in towns and cities.

The Chamber is supporting the campaign by circulating safety information that employers can share with their staff - see below for more details.

Licensees and bar staff will also be encouraged to better assess customers and refuse to serve them if they believe they have already consumed too much alcohol.

This is the second year the campaign has been run and police hope it will further reduce incidents of sexual assault. In December 2009, there were 48 crimes of this nature in the area. When the initiative was run last December, there were 36 incidents.

Police are urging people to follow these four simple steps which will help them enjoy a safe night out and prevent putting themselves at risk:

  • Do plan how you are going to get home safely at the end of your night out
  • Do stay with a trusted friend at all times
  • Don't leave your drink unattended
  • Don't drink beyond your known safe limit
  • Drink alcohol responsibly

Officers patrolling the city at night have been tasked with approaching vulnerable loan women and ensuring that they get home safely, with the help of local Street Pastors and licensed taxi companies.

Detective Chief Inspector Sam Slack said: "On average, alcohol is a factor in around three quarters of all reported sexual assault cases. We want people to enjoy themselves but at the same time, we want everyone to drink responsibly and stay safe".

Detective Inspector Tim Cadman, head of the Operation Diamond team, said: "Alcohol can make people drop their guard and become more vulnerable. As part of the campaign this year, we are urging employers to get the message out to their staff that they need to responsible on a night out and stay within their alcohol limits".

Businesses can help support the campaign by downloading posters and sharing them electronically with their staff or printing them and displaying them in staff rooms, on noticeboards and in other communal areas. The posters can be downloaded by clicking here.