Police CAP off information about under age sales with a helping hand from partners

Co-operative Supervisor Thom Greatorex and PCSO Shreeji Brahmbahts with one of the CAP signs on display at the store on Wide Bargate.

The officers visited 32 premises as part of the next steps of an initiative, which aims to tackle alcohol issues in the town.

The main aim of the organisation is currently to tackle the sale of alcohol to young people and promote the Under 25 Challenge.

Boston Community Police Inspector Andy Morrice said: “We just want to make sure that they have got access to all the resources available to them.”

Of the off-licences The Standard visited with PSCO Shreeji Brahmbhatt, many were positive about the new partnership.

However, in some cases the message had not been cascaded to staff and there was also a lack of awareness.

A number did not have physical ‘refusal registers’ - giving descriptions of those who attempted to make a purchase and when - instead just filling the automated systems on their tills.

Others, were keen to show PCSO Brahmbhatt and Mr Morrice full files on the training given to their staff and their refusal registers - some of which included full descriptions of those refused.

Mr Morrice is hoping the latest move will remind people of the partnership and give them the latest details.

He further believed that by working in partnership with premises, it will have a knock-on effect on street drinking.

He said: “We’re trying to build a positive relationship with all the off-licences.

“We’re also hoping there will be an impact on street drinking as well.”

For example, he said at the moment there are no powers to demand a store doesn’t sell a single can, but believes by working together they may do this voluntarily.

The CAP scheme sees national alcohol retailers pay into a pot, from which funding can be drawn down to the local area to go towards schemes  to help deal with alcohol issues.

Officers spoke to shop owners and handed out posters and shelf sliders displaying the 25 Challenge message.

They also advised those present that there would be free training on how to handle asking people for ID from larger supermarkets.

Also handed out, were physical refusal forms, the aim being to get people to fill them in for the police to collect data to build their patrols around. Mr Morrice says that if the data showed youths were trying to buy alcohol at 6pm on a Thursday for instance, the police would take action.

Partners are helping out in a variety of other ways, for instance, the Co-operative Group has donated a number of plastic holders to contain the sliders.