Durg-related crime drops (From The Argus)

Durg-related crime drops

8:14am Monday 9th October 2006

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A scheme to cut crime by helping drug users beat their addictions has been hailed a success.

New figures reveal that 286 people were arrested for drug dealing during the past year as part of Operation Reduction, which is run jointly by Brighton police, the Drug and Alcohol Action Team and Crime Reduction Initiatives.

Crime figures in hotspot areas dropped by as much as half following the arrests, which resulted in 91 addicts - who had 3,751 previous convictions between them - receiving treatment.

As a result burglary declined by 48 per cent, vehicle crime by 45 per cent, robbery by 26 per cent and reports of antisocial behaviour dropped by a third.

The number of drug-related calls to police also dropped by 70 per cent.

Superintendent Graham Bartlett said Brighton and Hove was known as the "drugs death capital of the UK", with more deaths from drug overdoses than any other city, including London.

He said drug abuse had a huge impact on the city as most burglaries, robberies, thefts and vehicle crimes were committed by drug addicts trying to pay for their next fix.

He said: "We have been very good in the past at running operations which tackle drug dealers but, although there may be a short-term reprieve, that action doesn't necessarily impact in the longer term on the quality of life for the community as a whole.

"The drugs market will always re-emerge if the demand is still there."

He said the scheme had made a "real difference" by helping users get the support they needed.

He said: "Although we are still in the initial stages of making changes, the early indications are that these people are turning their backs on a criminal lifestyle and therefore making the lives of people in Brighton and Hove safer."

Mike Pattinson, regional director of Crime Reduction Initiatives, said: "The results are clear evidence of the effectiveness of the scheme."

Chairman of Brighton and Hove's Drug and Alcohol Action Team and city council chief executive Alan McCarthy said: "The aim of the partnership is to secure long-lasting results for the city's residents.

"Crime is reducing as a result of our efforts and we will continue with this successful work to root out the problems caused by drugs in our city."

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