Alcohol workers and police offer drinkers help in Falinge

Falinge flats

Alcohol workers from Alcohol Dependency Solutions (ADS) joined police in Falinge to offer treatment and support to the estate’s alcohol dependent.

As part of Alcohol Awareness Week (18-24 October), workers took to the beat alongside police officers and police constable support officers to (PCSO) from Rochdale North’s Neighbourhood Policing Team, in a bid to engage with some of the estate’s most prolific street drinkers.

ADS staff and police toured the estate’s well known habitual drunkard hotspots and where possible they would offer them free, confidential, non judgmental advice and the opportunity to access treatment that could help them escape their addiction.

Appointments and initial assessments were set for two individuals.

Amanda Tang, ADS Manager, said: “Our walkabout with the police was a great experience. It has allowed us reach out into the community and talk to some of the estate’s most hard to engage drinkers. To recruit two people into treatment is a fantastic outcome from taking part in this exercise. We’ve managed to offer two vulnerable people a real life line.”

Due to the operation’s success ADS are now exploring plans to run regular outreach sessions on the estate from the mobile police station.

PC John Byrne from Rochdale’s Neighbourhood Policing Team, explained why he believes this new approach promises to be much effective in tackling street drinking: “The police have very limited powers to deal with street drinkers. We have the ability to punish the behaviour with fines and move street drinkers on, but this doesn’t solve the problem in the long-term. By joining up with local treatment services such as ADS we have a real chance of tackling the root cause of the problem that devastates lives and behaviour that intimidates the community.”

It’s estimated that 22% of people in the borough (aged 16 and over) are binge or high risk drinkers. The Government’s recommended daily intake of alcohol is 2-3 units for a woman and 3-4 units for a man.

Dale Mulgrew, cabinet member responsible for community safety at Rochdale Borough Council, added: “This is another example of innovative partnership working addressing long-standing problems and concerns on the Falinge Estate which has the ability to make a big difference to individual’s lives and the communities who live there. Addressing the root causes of a person’s alcohol dependency and offering them support is the best way to solve the problem rather than moving it onto somewhere else. I would like to see this approach used in other areas across the borough if it proves successful.”