Designated public place orders (DPPOs) give

police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest a ...

officers discretionary powers to require a person to stop drinking and confiscate

alcohol Alcohol most commonly refers to: * Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom * Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks Alcohol may also refer to: Chemicals * Ethanol, one of sev ...

or containers of alcohol from people they believe are consuming or about to consume alcohol in public places where the order is in effect. In the

London Borough of Southwark The London Borough of Southwark ( ) in South London forms part of Inner London and is connected by bridges across the River Thames to the City of London and London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It was created in 1965 when three smaller council ar ...

, DPPOs are also called alcohol control areas (ACAs), while in the

London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham () is a London borough in West London and which also forms part of Inner London. The borough was formed in 1965 from the merger of the former Metropolitan Boroughs of Hammersmith and Fulham. The boro ...

, they are called controlled drinking areas (CDAs) or controlled drinking zones (CDZs). Failure to comply with alcohol restrictions in DPPOs can result in arrest and/or a fine of up to £500. DPPOs are implemented by local councils in order to address alcohol-related crime and disorder in public places. 712 DPPOs have implemented by local authorities since Section 12 of the

Police and Criminal Justice Act 2001 The Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which gave extra powers to the police, with the aim to tackle crime and disorder more effectively. Key provisions include the introduction of on-the-spo ...

gave councils the power to do so where they were satisfied that areas were suffering from alcohol-related crime and disorder. A common impact of enforcement of DPPO powers is displacement of street drinking to nearby areas. A number of local authorities have used DPPOs to successfully reduce alcohol-related anti-social behaviour (ASB), but have stressed that DPPOs are not the solution to these problems but a useful tool to help address them. Some criticism has been levelled at the discriminatory element of the legislation (for instance should

picnic A picnic is a meal taken outdoors ( ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event such as precedi ...

kers be allowed to drink openly in a park where street drinkers are?) but generally an officers' discretion is considered sufficient to take appropriate action or not. Some reports from police have also indicated the powers can be useful for addressing ASB related to the Night Time Economy and problems from licensed premises. Section 26 of the

Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 The Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 (c. 38) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Origin The United Kingdom Government published a paper "Drinking Responsibly - The Government's Proposals" in 2005 setting out their proposals for ...

makes some amendments to the law surrounding the designation of public places during public events.

References

External links

Home Office link
Alcohol law in the United Kingdom Drinking culture {{UK-law-stub