Drug dealing and associated criminality

Drug dealing and associated criminality
Drug dealing continues to be a priority that the community want the police to focus on. The impact of drug dealing and associated criminality cannot be underestimated. Many other offences are commonly linked to drug related crime, thefts, burglaries, violent crime, knife crime and the carrying of other weapons. County Lines have become an increasing problem from towns like Bournemouth with the most vulnerable in our community being targeted, especially children. We have and will continue to work with other agencies to safeguard vulnerable persons, gather intelligence and information, disrupt criminality and bring offenders to justice.

We have been tackling and disrupting drug networks in the following ways;

• Drugs Warrants – Known address targeted, resulting in charges being brought for possession with intent to supply for class A drugs.

• Effective partnership work with housing providers to seek civil remedies at premises known for drug related ASB, e.g closure orders, civil injunctions.

• High visibility policing to counter reports of street dealing and reassure the community.

• Conducting visits on vulnerable members of the community subject to possible county lines / cuckooing, regular cuckoo checks.

• Number one for disruption activity in the force, targeting dangerous drug networks and intelligence gathering.

We have been tackling this ongoing problem in the following ways;

• Multi- agency meetings –supporting multi-agency plans to divert youth ASB/criminality and identify environmental factors associated with ASB
• Close liaison with safer schools departments to educate and engage with school aged children.
• Targeted patrols of hot spot locations to tackle ASB.
• Effective use of the consequence scheme to target / sanction key ASB youth nominals with a view to applying for Acceptable Behaviour Contracts and ultimately civil remedies i.e ASBI etc.
• Identifying those at most risk of causing harm focussing on the use of knives and weapons amongst young people and working to divert this behaviour.