Drunk Tanks in Zürich Zürich Approach on Taking Care of Intoxicated Persons in the City Centre

1. Drunk Tanks in Zürich Zürich Approach on Taking Care of IntoxicatedPersons in the City Centre Rebekka Hofmann, M.A. Zürich Police Department Project Leader

2. Agenda About Zürich Legal Framework The Drunk Tank Facts and Figures Summary Future

4. 1. About Zürich • Largest city in Switzerland • Resident population: 390’100 • Share foreign nationals: 31% • Population growth 2001-2010: 8% • Unemployment rate: 3.4%

5. The Metropolitan Area of Zürich • 1.9 Mio. inhabitants • 236 Communes in 8 Cantons • 900‘000 jobs • 37% of the Swiss GDP • 67% of the Top-1000-companies in Switzerland

6. Going out in Zürich • 2000 gastronomic establishments • 640 night bars • 600 bars with out-door area • 100 clubs for > 200 guests • Public transportation at night on weekends

7. Consequences of Zürich’s vivid night life • Crime increase at night on weekends • Increase of complaints about noise on weekends • Increase of littering and vandalism

8. City Council and City Administration City Council • 9 members, including the mayor City Administration • 9 departments • Each department has a member of the City Council as its head Zürich City Police • A division of the Police Department Zürich Armed 1464 unarmed 168 civilians 489 Total 2121

9. City Council’s Delegation on Issues in the Public Space Strategy development and solution-finding regarding issues in the public space, amongst others: • Utilization of the public space • Juvenile violence • Prostitution • Drugs • Alcohol This delegation is a cooperation of 4 Departments: • Police Department • Department for Social Affairs • Department of Health • Department of Education

10. Goals of the Project “Zürich Drunk Tanks” • to take intoxicated (alcohol, drugs, etc.) people in the public space into police custody; • to sober them up while being monitored by a medical staff; • to relief emergency departments, the fire brigade and police forces; • to charge the security costs to the person responsible. Cooperation between the Health and the Police Department

11. 2. Legal Framework Cantonal Police Law: “The police is allowed to take people into custody, who are a serious and imminent endangerment to self or others.” others: humans, animals, properties

12. No Drunk Tank Clients…

13. … Potential Drunk Tank Clients endangerment to self or others (humans, animals, properties) because of their condition (alcohol, drugs, etc.)

14. Reimbursement of Costs Cantonal Police Law: “The police is allowed to charge the security costs to the person responsible if he/she acted willfully or with high negligence.”

15. Reimbursement of Costs Medical costs are paid by his/her health insurance. Security costs only will be passed on to clients. Fees of the stay: For a duration of stay > 3 h) CHF 950 For a duration of stay < 3 h) CHF 600

16. 3. The Drunk Tank: Operation process

17. Players

18. Drunk Tank

19. Drunk Tank

20. Pink Drunk Tank Can pink drunk tanks calm violent clients? Zürich has one pink drunk tank but there is no evidence yet if it helps or not.

21. Security Assistance • Helps when client arrives • Handles the checkpoint

22. Security Assistance • Continuous monitoring • Responsible for safety and security of the medical staff • Minor cleaning

23. Police officer in charge • Takes final decision about custody • Registers client • Supervises the process

24. Medical Care • Immediate medical check on entrance • Constant medical supervision

25. Medical Care Risks of intoxicated clients: • Problems with blood pressure / circulation problems • Cognitive dysfunction • Hypoglycemia (low blood glucose level) • Hypothermia • Psychotic disorder • Injuries (sometimes invisible) • State of health can change into critical condition quickly Unconscious clients, suspicion of internal bleeding, fracture and/or craniocerebral injury need to be hospitalized. Hospitalization: only about 7% of all drunk tank clients.

26. Counselling sip (security intervention prevention)sip combines street work with public order services sip is always mobilized when minors or youths are taken into custody: • They look after them and/or contact their parents. • Later on, they organize a specific follow-up of those clients.

27. 4. Facts and Figures Evaluation of the first 2 years of the project: March 2010 until April 2012: • 112 weekends • open on Friday and Saturday nights

28. Total Number and Sex of Clients

29. Age of Clients • youngest client: 17.2 years (f) / 14.2 years (m) • oldest client: 72.2 years (f) / 79.5 years (m)

30. Duration of Stay

31. Invoice • 50% of all the invoices are being paid • 30% of all the invoices are not yet being paid (reminders etc.) • 20% written off invoices (not claimable because missing address etc.)

32. 5. Summary Positive: • Pioneer project in Switzerland • Other Cantons in Switzerland are interested • City Council, police and health institutions fully support the drunk tanks • Excellent cooperation between the police and health institutions (learning from each other) • Clear decrease of incidents of aggression in the city’s hospitals • Relief for the Police: Patrol available for its core business

33. 5. Summary Challenges: • Operational level: - difficult clients - staff - “backoffice”: billing, documentation etc. • Political discussion: - Some political parties fight against the Drunk Tanks - What are the limits of public service? - Implementation? - Self-responsibility of citizens? • The media

34. 6. Future of the Drunk Tanks in Zürich • Project budget until March 2015 • Parliament or popular vote will decide about the implementation • Extension of opening hours (open every night) from 1/1/2013 • Standby solution for emergency-duties during the day • Cooperation with the Cantonal Police • Fees might change

35. Questions / Remarks rebekka.hofmann@zuerich.ch