Public and private property damage is a common consequence of excessive alcohol consumption. In 2001, 2.7% of Western Australians, aged over 14-years, reported causing property damage whilst under the influence of alcohol.
Information extracted from the NSW Police Service’s Computerised Operational Policing System (COPS) for the 12 months preceding June 2000 found that 6 % of a total 92,481 malicious damage to property incidents were recorded as alcohol-related. This information underestimates the actual number of alcohol-related incidents of malicious damage to property as they are usually reported some time after the event has occurred.
What can be done about alcohol-related property damage?
Before you make a complaint about alcohol-related property damage, make sure you have all the facts. The following checklist of questions can be used to gather information. It is a guide only and you must not take the law into your own hands, as you may be the one who ends up in trouble with the authorities.
Alcohol-related Property Damage Checklist:
- Why do you think the property damage was alcohol-related?
- What property was damaged? For example car, garden, house appliance, window?
- What time did the damage occur?
- Was it a ‘one-off’ incident? If not, how often does it occur?
- How many people were involved? More than two? A group?
- Were weapons used in causing the damage? If so what kind?
- Was there an associated cost to repair damage?
- What was the amount of time taken to clean up damaged property?
- Was there potential for harm to occur to individuals as a result of the damage?
- For example from broken glass
Once you have gathered your information, there are a number of approaches you can take.
Click here to find out what can be done about alcohol-related private property damage.
Click here to find out what can be done about alcohol-related public property damage.