POLICE will be stepping up patrols in the areas around high schools next week to coincide with end of term celebrations as part of a crackdown on teenage binge drinking.
The move is one of a number of initiatives the council and police are carrying out this summer after receiving £20,000 of government funding to tackle young boozers.
The funding will allow the police to confiscate alcohol, break up groups of young people who are getting drunk, and get persistent offenders to sign contracts promising to behave.
Other measures include reinforced alcohol zones, in which police can confiscate alcohol from both adults and young people.
Trading Standards will also be carrying out more test purchases in a bid to catch out irresponsible retailers selling to underage drinkers.
Any vulnerable young people found out late at night or drunk will be taken to a place of safety until they can be collected by a parent or guardian. These young people will then be offered the chance to become involved in activities, including residential trips.
The money has been allocated to councils across the country by school’s secretary Ed Balls, who launched a binge drinking crackdown in response to feedback from police and youth services who say that alcohol remains a major factor influencing low level youth crime and anti-social behaviour.
Jeanette Staley, acting community safety manager at Rochdale Council, said: "We recognise that over the summer the likelihood of alcohol-related disorder is more common which is why we have developed a vast range of preventative and enforcement initiatives which aim to keep young people safe and out of trouble during the holidays.
"We will be working very closely with our partners, especially the police, to minimise youth nuisance as much as possible.
"Our youth detach teams will be taking to the streets at weekends and evenings to enrol young people into a structured programme of positive activities and the police will be stepping up their patrols looking to confiscate alcohol.
"We will soon be launching a campaign which aims to banish boredom by inviting young people to do something productive with their time."
Welcoming the funding, Rochdale’s Labour Parliamentary Candidate, Simon Danczuk, said: "Rochdale is in the top five most affected areas by excessive drinking in England, so it’s clear we have a big problem.
"Many people have told me that binge drinking is really holding our town centre back and people don’t want to go out there at night because teenage drinking is out of control. As the second largest borough in Greater Manchester, Rochdale should rightly have a town centre that’s economically strong and that we’re all proud of. We won’t achieve this unless we clamp down on binge drinking."
