As people prepare to celebrate the start of the festive season, law enforcement agencies are gearing up for the traditionally rowdy “Black Eye Friday” events. Despite its reputation as a day of heavy drinking and disorderly conduct, the scale of arrests on this day varies across police forces in the UK. Last December, Avon and Somerset Constabulary recorded 64 arrests on Black Eye Friday, which was notably less than the activity seen on New Year’s Day.
The figures obtained from police forces indicate that Black Eye Friday saw a total of 3,300 arrests across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, making it the day with the highest number of arrests in December. However, this number was surpassed by the activity on New Year’s Day, which saw 3,635 arrests after the stroke of midnight.
While some urban centers experienced a significant surge in arrests on Black Eye Friday, it was not the busiest day for many police forces. For example, Greater Manchester Police made 204 arrests on December 22, ranking it as the 21st busiest day for the force. Similarly, the Met made 341 arrests on Black Eye Friday, positioning it as the 10th busiest day for the force.
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Overall, the data suggests a fluctuation in arrest rates on Black Eye Friday, with some police forces experiencing higher levels of activity on dates outside of the New Year period.