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Women out partying to be given flip-flops
Saturday 12th December 2009, 11:30AM GMT.
Women out drinking in Shropshire over the festive season are to be handed flip-flops and attack alarms by police in a bid to keep them safe.
West Mercia Police officers will be handing out alcohol awareness packs which will include the items for women in a bid to help them stay safe and avoid the risks of excessive drinking. Hundreds of packs will be distributed in a bid to reduce alcohol-related violence and disorder.
There are separate versions for men and women, with both types including a drawstring bag containing a bottle of water and a lollipop.
The female packs also have an attack alarm and a pair of flip-flops.
The flip-flops are to prevent ankle and leg injuries caused by falling from high heels or to protect feet if women remove their shoes.
Tony Mantle, police licensing officer for Shropshire Division, said: “Sadly, every year the festive season is ruined for some people as a result of incidents brought on by extreme alcohol consumption.
“It’s not a case of the police being killjoys, far from it. We want people to have a good time but we also want them to remain safe and out of trouble.
“The packs will be given out to those who have put themselves in a vulnerable position.”
Funding for more than 700 packs has been obtained from the Police Authority Community Fund, Shropshire Council and the Best Bar None Scheme.
The initiative is also part of the West Mercia Police Christmas Presence campaign.
Mr Mantle said people drinking excessively suffered both dehydration and reduced sugar levels.
He said: “The bottle of water tackles the dehydration issue and the lollipop has a dual purpose.
“It provides a sugar rush lowering a person’s grumpiness or aggressiveness, while at the same time, they are less likely to start shouting and being rowdy with a lolly in their mouth.
“The overriding message from the police is ‘don’t put yourself in that position in the first place. Have a good time but be sensible, be safe and look after yourself and your friends’.”
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So just how long will it be before members of the West Mercia Constabulary start handing out Condoms to Rapists, Protective clothing to Burglars, tips on Advanced driving to Car thieves. So long as one agency or another is there to absolve these people of their own social responsibilities, then there is little encouragement for them to do so themselves. Not to mention the amount of litter this will create from discarded bottles, bags and annoying personal alarms sounding late at night.
No doubt another enterprise from a budding acting Sergeant/Inspector keen to get some public exposure for his/her CV.
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You have read it twice don’t you. They’re seriously giving loud toys to drunks??? What a truly pathetic sop to the Alcohol Industry. So we can take it that the police are admitting that they’re no longer in control of public safety and our streets anymore and we can assume that the offence of being ‘drunk and disorderly’ no longer applies! An announcement from this shambles of a government would have been nice.
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Behave I am not fooled for one minute lollie pops and flip flops??. It is a lot less painfull to be hit on the back of the head with a flip flop than a stilleto or normal shoe , and the lollipo well thats just to well mmm give the boys in blue a thrill.
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erm …… police giving out water and flip-flops now ???? can people not use a tap or wear shoes they can walk in ????
We can’t afford to put bobbies on the streets (or nurses into hospitals) but we can waste taxpayers money on pampering the drunken fools who are one of the major reasons we need more bobbies n nurses to clean up the aftermath of their stupidity ….. speechless !!!
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This is nothing but mollycoddling those that put themselves at risk through their own excesses and this at the cost of all council tax payers.
What will these ultra liberals think of next to waste our money.
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How much is this costing? Is it another burden for the local taxpayer?
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other than the rape alarms,this is the dumbest idea i’ve ever read.
might as well give out adult nappies to go with the lollies & the little drinkie poo of water then tuck them into bed.
what next?,giving out munchies to the stoned chav kids on street corners.
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what a waste of my tax money! if I go and beat my head deliberately and repeatedly on the wall for fun, will you lot all pay for some expensive protective gear for me?
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I find it somewhat unfair that the focus here is on flip flops rather than the rape alarms (which is a very good idea) … In fact so are the flip flops which will help women in silly shoes get home quicker and easier, without breaking their ankles… Obviously there is a wider social problem here but its not like one police force can solve that themselves.
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You’re all missing the obvious. It will cost less to do this and save all the trips to casualty when they are too dehydrated or have broken ankles.
However, people turning up at hospital with injuries caused by drunkenness should have to pay their own bill – us tax payers shouldn’t be funding their foolishness.
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We’re a bit late jumping on this bandwaggon.
[url]http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/3850898/Police-give-free-goodie-bags-containing-condoms-flip-flops-and-lollipops-to-drinkers.html[/url]
I wonder if Hull made any money?
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So ehy are the police only issuing to women? is this not a case of sexual discrimination? I could do with a pair of flip flops for my hols provided BA Aircrew stop their stupid strike
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Norman – If you go out wearing a pair of high heels I’m sure you will be allowed a pair of flip flops
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