Total war on drugs continues in St Helens
Merseyside Police's tough offensive on drug crime is yielding huge successes in St Helens with more than 130 warrants and 1,100 arrests across the Borough
in just over 2 years.
The Force's Total War on Drugs is ensuring a sustained and targeted attack on the supply of illegal drugs and is taking criminals off the streets. This is a key priority for the force, forming part of the Chief Constable's Total Policing approach, and brings Merseyside Police another step closer in its aim to be the best performing force in England and Wales.
In addition, to the warrants and arrests, since November 2005, Police in St Helens have:
- Issued 1150 Cannabis Warnings/Reprimands
- Closed 14 premises across the Borough associated with drug activity
- Received over 470 calls to Crimestoppers or the Dedicated St Helens Hotline regarding drug activity
This has been achieved through a combination of targeted operations, intelligence and the use of technology such as ANPR.
Continued action
Area Commander for St Helens, Chief Superintendent Peter Brinkley, said: "We have had tremendous success over the last few years and our continued action is reassuring local people that Merseyside Police is serious about tackling the illegal drugs market and prosecuting offenders.
"There is no such thing as a stereotypical drug dealer, drug user or problem area. It is an issue which can and does affect individuals, families and blights communities.
"That's why community information plays a huge part in our work. As public confidence builds more and more people are coming forward to pass on information to us. I want to reassure the public that this information is vital to us and we act robustly when we receive it. "
Reducing harm
Merseyside Police is working with St Helens Drug Alcohol Action Team to take illegal drugs off the streets of St Helens and reduce the harm they can cause to individuals, families and whole communities.
Over the last 2 years, a marketing and communication campaign has been running across St Helens encouraging the local community to tell us about drug activity in their area. The latest campaign (attached), promoting the message 'Dealers don't care - do you?' will be seen on billboards, bus shelters and Ad Vans in 2008.
If you have information about drugs in your area, contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or the Dedicated Drugs Hotline at St Helens on 0800 093 5170.
