Police crackdown on public drinking as weather warms
Posted May 24, 2015 11:46 am.
Last Updated May 24, 2015 12:41 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – If you’re thinking about packing a picnic to enjoy at a local beach or park, you may want to leave the booze at home. Over the past week alone, there have been a couple hundred liquor pour-outs as police crackdown on public drinking as the weather heats up.
A problem spot right now is Habitat Island around Olympic Village – neighbours are complaining about the noise and trash left behind. “We’re going to have more people down at the beaches trying to enjoy this good weather and we’re stepping up patrols as a result. Our goal is very simple – public safety. We want to make sure everyone who wants to come down and use the beaches can do so and feel safe while doing it,” says Vancouver Police Constable Brian Montague.
But what if you just want to enjoy a glass of wine on the beach, discreetly, and you’re not causing any problems? “Obviously, I can’t tell people it’s OK to bring a bottle of wine or a couple of beers down to the beach. It is illegal. You can lose your alcohol or you could be ticketed, but generally, the individuals that our officers are dealing with are dealing with for a reason. It’s because they’ve drawn attention to themselves or they’re causing problems.”
“Common sense comes into play here. If you’re going to come down to the beach and you’re behaving yourself, there’s no reason for the police to come up and deal with you. But if you’re down there and you’re drunk and causing problems, starting fights and drawing attention to yourself, then you’re going to have a couple of officers come up and pay you a visit. You’re going to draw unwanted police attention,” explains Montague.
He adds any notion that officers are only targeting teens isn’t true. “We see teenagers that are a problem, but we also see a lot of teenagers that are very well behaved. And then right next to them is a group of 20 or 30-year-olds that are the ones causing the problems. Age doesn’t really have a big bearing on who we deal with. Again, if you’re drawing negative attention or drawing even a 911 call, then we’re going to come down and deal with it.”
A fine for drinking in public can be as much as $230. Montague adds people are also lighting small campfires, *but* they’re not putting them out properly and then someone walks over it and gets burned.
Remember officers are not only driving around, their on bikes, horseback, ATV’s and there’s the Marine Unit.
