Measuring violence in and around licensed premises: The need for a better evidence base

There is clear evidence of the link between alcohol-related violence and licensed premises, particularly with consideration to the night-time economy (NTE) of urban centres. The relationship between the occurrence of violence and the trading hours of outlets that sell alcohol (alcohol supply points) is a complex phenomenon. This paper highlights, through the use of analysis techniques and findings from an evaluation of the Licensing Act 2003, the lack of consistent information available to those tasked with managing NTE areas. It also details the importance of place (individual high risk premises and areas with concentrations of licensed premises), of time (both time of day and day of week) and the value of local contextual knowledge (for example, the difference between granted and actual used licensed trading hours) in measuring and interpreting change. The paper outlines a range of information sources that are presently not collated in a consistent format that are crucial to making informed decisions for management of the NTE and areas with licensed premises, and argues that a consistent reliable evidence base on alcohol supply points is a necessity for managing and policing such areas.