Ready availability of illegal drugs can make it easier for young people to develop into problematic drug users and makes it harder for drug users to get off drugs.
Drugs in the Community - Your Say
To inform the development of the new 10 year drug strategy (2008 to 2018) and to ensure that it responds to the issues that are of concern to communities, the government launched a public consultation in July 2007. More than a thousand written responses were received and interviews were conducted with stakeholders, communities and agencies. One of the key priorities identified by the public was:
Visible and effective action against drug dealers, responding to community concerns and providing timely feedback on action taken.
One of the key priorities of the new drug strategy is:
Protecting communities through robust enforcement to tackle drug supply, drug related crime and anti-social behaviour.
The key actions for this priority are:
- Embedding action to tackle drugs within the neighbourhood policing approach, to gather community intelligence and to increase community confidence
- Stregthening and extending international partnerships to intercept drugs being trafficked to the UK, including asset seizure agreements
- Extending powers to seize the cash and assets of drug dealers, to demonstrate to communities that dealing doesn't pay - this will include using money seized to support community projects
- Support communities who wish to take action against drug dealing by promoting local Crimestopper campaigns such as 'Rat on a Rat' and 'Too Much Bling, Give Us a Ring'
Tackling Drug Supply and Availability in the South East
The Government Office for the South East is working closely with police forces, partners and agencies to reduce the harms caused by illegal drugs by tackling the supply and availability of drugs within local communities. A full time police officer has been seconded to GOSE to assist and support local partners and agencies to developing strategy and approaches to tackle the supply and availability of drugs within the region.
A South East Region Availability Group has been formed to provide a forum where key partners and agencies can meet to exchange information, identify good practice and to develop effective approaches against drug supply markets. The group which meets quarterly includes members from local Drug and Alcohol Action Teams, police forces, the Serious and Organised Crime Agency, Customs, HM Prison Service and Borders and Immigration Agency.
The group have identified a number of key priority areas, which include:
- Developing drug market profiles that provides a clear picture of how drug markets and dealers operate
- Tackling organised crime groups involved in the production of cannabis within rented houses
- Tackling London based gangs who travel into local communities to supply heroin and crack cocaine
- Develop close partnership working to ensure all relevant agencies are involved in drug enforcement operations
- Develop technology to combat drug supply including the Ion track drug trace machine that can detect minute traces of illegal drugs. This device is already being successfully used to tackle drugs in pubs, clubs and 'crack' houses to combat the supply of drugs into prisons
Each year the Home Office hosts the National Reducing Supply Conference and Awards ceremony which pays tribute to police forces and agencies that have demonstrated outstanding achievements in tacking drug supply and developing best practice.
Useful websites
Publications on the Home Office website
Assets Recovery
Association of Chief Police Officers
