to think the police shouldn't be a taxi service for drunks

[aedes]

I was talking to my friend who is a police officer and she says that if they find a person who is very drunk but no drunk enough to need hospital treatment then they will try and organise a taxi for them but if they're aren't any around or the person doesn't have any money then they will take them home themselves for their own safety. AIBU to think this is outrageous and complete waste of police officer's time.

I don't think it is a waste of time. The person might be drunk enough to cause an accident or end up falling and getting hurt, so getting them home safely before they become a problem or need hospital treatment seems like a good idea to me. I think they should only do it if they have time and aren't needed for anything else.

I think it's good policing

It really doesn't happen often enough to make any kind of difference... but it usually means they don't get called out again and again to the same drunk person, being reported as collapsed in the street again.

That really would be a waste of police time.

Yabu!

YANBU I find it extraordinary that people who go out and get hammered can be chaffeured to their front door by the police free of charge.

What if it was one of your children grown up and they got abit worse for wear? Wouldnt you prefer the bobby to bring them home safe instead of ending up god knows where with god knows who... YABU

The alternative is worse, so whilst it is a bit of a waste of their time, it also stops other accidents being caused by these people. YABU

The thread title and the contents of your posts are 2 different things. If someone is drunk and cannot get home any other way then the police are ensuring their safety. How many stories do you hear of people falling into rivers/canals/train tracks etc because they are walking home pissed, I wish the police were able to do this more and keep people safe.

Statistically, mile for mile, you are more likely to be killed walking home drunk than if you drunk drive.

Its a good policy.

It's part of policing because it's part of anti social behaviour.

Lots of crimes like vandalism, including things as petty as pissing in the street and violence are committed under the influence of alcohol as well as the increase in accidents.

By doing this it stops things going further which would then require more police time than it takes to drive someone home. Also I doubt they are prioritising this over other things, its not as if they're saying " let's ignore any 999 calls and just chauffeur drunks".

The police who do this are usually the ones out in the town or neighbourhood, with the task of policing that area and keeping it safe etc so this falls under their remit. It's actually one of the few good things they do.

sensible from my point of view

actually glad to hear some police officers still care in this way

YABU. The police are trying to prevent further problems and crimes.

The police are not being unreasonable

The people who have got themselves into this state without a way to get themselves home safely ABU.

In some ways no yadnbu but as katienana said your thread title was a bit different to the contents of your post.

Alot of police time is wasted due to alcohol abuse, which I find disgusting. Their entire shifts on a fri or sat night are spent dealing with drunks outside pubs which is wrong. So yes it does annoy me when they have to chauffeur drunks around as well, it's all part of the culture in this country of getting shitfaced, which has become too acceptable to too many people. I feel sorry for the staff in a&e at weekends as well whose time is also being wasted.

I also think phrases like 'free taxi service' and 'chauffeur' totally detract from the actual reason this is occasionally done.

Finally remembered the phrase I was looking for.

It's preventative policing.

YABU. As others have said, what's the alternative? Just leaving a very drunk person on the street? Can you imagine the outcry if they did that and the drunk person died or caused a serious accident.

I don't think it should come down to the police to return people home safely if they are not drunk enough to require the assistance of the hospital then they are well enough to make their own way home.

If you are drunk enough to be driven home by the police then you are obviously drunk enough to be arrested for Anti Social Behaviour.

If you are drunk enough to be driven home by the police then you are obviously drunk enough to be arrested for Anti Social Behaviour.

Its not always in the public interest to make an arrest though. That cost more money, and in most cases, the cps are never going to persue it.

I think people should also imagine it from the police officers point of view. They're in a no win situation. They have to make sure that drunks don't cause trouble, and they get home safely, but it doesn't mean they're happy about doing it! They would rather be available to help people who are victims of crime or genuinely need their help.

DH was very drunk once, missed his stop on the train and ended up miles away, (would have been a very expensive taxi). And he had been on the last train so he couldn't get a train back. He decided (in his drunken wisdom) to spend a night on a bench on the station platform. Luckily it was a very warm night in the summer. In the early hours of the morning a police officer nudged him and said "Are you alright, sir?" He was fine (though blinding hangover the next day) and they didn't give him a lift home, but I really appreciate that they checked up on him.

DH hasn't missed his stop or been that drunk since by the way!

It is not a case of being drunk means being drunk enough to be arrested to anti social behaviour.

You cannot arrest for being drunk. There is drunk and incapable, where an ambulance will be called and the person being determined to be drunk and incapable and will go to hospital, or not drunk and incapable and they won't. There is an offence of being drunk and disorderly but being drunk alone does not mean you are disorderly. So if the ambulance determine they are not incapable but the officer has concerns that the person may come to some harm then they have a duty if care. Arresting that person would be unfair if they were not disorderly so dropping them home is the safest and most logical thing to do. It really doesn't happen that often. If the person has money then the police will make sure they get a taxi. If not it is better to drop them home than having to deal with them later if they get injured.

And yes, I see where you are coming from OP,it is a waste of money in some respects and people should take responsibility for themselves but society has changed and we live in a blame culture. It's better to ensure someone's safety that deal with the consequences if something happened.