The Crawley & Gatwick Business Watch teamed up with the police and county council to combat anti-social behaviour across West Sussex.
The business watch’s manager said it would reward people who attend a rehabilitation course after coming into contact with the police for certain offences.
The Alcohol Diversion Scheme, which was launched across the county on Wednesday (December 11), offers drunk and disorderly people the option of attending a three-hour course instead of paying a £90 penalty notice.
The sessions will be run Drugslink, an independent charity.
Karen Methven, scheme manager of the CGBW, who is on the scheme’s steering committee, said: “We will, for certain offences, offer the opportunity to downgrade the six months pubwatch exclusion to a probationary period, if they attend a Drugslink session.
“This scheme sends out a strong message, especially to those drinking before they go into town, that it is okay to drink but not to the extent where your behaviour impacts on others.”
The group was the first in West Sussex to join in the scheme.
Karen added: There are other things which are in place that tackle alcoholism, this scheme focuses more on binge-drinking and its effects.
“The trouble is that it’s often acceptable to get very drunk and people don’t always realise the implications and how it affects other people as well as themselves.”
The Alcohol Diversion Scheme is already run in Brighton and Hove and tackles people who have offended when alcohol has been a factor.
Sussex Police, will work with West Sussex County Council, Pub Watch Schemes and Community Safety Partnerships, to offer the scheme with Druglink.
Chief Inspector Tanya Jones, who is leading on the project, said: “The benefits of introducing a scheme like this with partner agencies has proved incredibly successful in other forces such as Devon and Cornwall. In other forces they have been a significant reduction in attendees becoming victims or perpetrators of violent crime, and a dramatic decrease in accident and emergency admissions.
“The course is hard hitting - it contains information about the damage which can be caused by binge drinking and offers the opportunity for people to really reflect on the risks around their behaviour.
“There is a clear link between alcohol consumption and anti-social behaviour, which officers see everyday, and this scheme sees us working with our partners to help people who are offered the course assess their behaviour.”
A spokeswoman for Sussex Police added: “This initiative is not targeted at those with serious substance misuse problems as a three hour course may not be suitable in these cases where, instead, we already work with our partners to provide a range of services for these people.”
Cllr Christine Field, county council cabinet member for Community Wellbeing said: “The Alcohol Diversion Scheme gives an opportunity for early intervention to break the habits of people whose drinking is getting out of control and leading to criminal behaviour.
“It provides a chance for people to assess their drinking and the impact it is having not only on their life, but on those around them. The very fact they will have been invited to participate in this scheme will be an indication that their alcohol use is causing problems.”