The key, I think, is where Tickle was sitting. He was sitting in a car. Heck, if I saw a person sitting in a car drinking, I'd call the cops.
On the other hand, if he was sitting on a park bench drinking, I'd just nod and wish him a good day as I walked by.
The article said they carried him in the jail “after he could not find a ride home”. That sounds to me like they tried to let him go home.