Mobile Patrols and Sobering Up Shelters

Mobile patrols or night patrols are community based programs that provide assistance to people who are intoxicated (drunk) in public and may be at risk of harming themselves or harming others. Mobile patrols work with the person to identify a safe place to go to. Often they can help link people to services they need such as mental health or homeless services.

Sobering-up shelters also provide a safe place for people who are intoxicated. They can provide a bed for the night, a meal, a shower, and sometimes laundry facilities. They can also refer people to other social support services, if needed.

The Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody recommended that more mobile patrols and sobering up shelters should be provided [29075]. Mobile patrols and sobering up shelters help to link people to the support they need, improve community safety,  and reduce police involvement, preventing further harms caused by people spending time in jail [34063][1807][16233].