Drunkenness shouldn’t be paid for by the tax payer, says Commissioner

Sir Graham Bright has today publically supported comments attributed to Northamptonshire Chief Constable Adrian Lee that tax payers shouldn’t have to pick up the bill for people’s drunkenness.

Sir Graham said: “I welcome the Chief Constable’s idea and want to come out and support it in principle.

“If someone chooses to go out and get drunk and block up our police stations and NHS services then they should pay for it. The rest of the community shouldn’t have to pick up the tab.

“Clearly there are instances where alcohol abuse is part of a wider pattern of addiction and mental health issues; we must take care to ensure those people receive appropriate treatment.

“However, binge drinking linked to the night time economy results in many policing and community safety issues. It is the scourge of our society and has a huge impact on our communities and emergency services.

“I welcome any initiative that can help tackle this.”