DRUG crime dropped in Warwickshire last year, when the county’s police force began a crackdown on ‘county lines’ gangs.
Data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed a 14 per cent reduction in drug-related offences in the county in 2018 – the second biggest reduction in the country.
The lower figures – which also show a one per cent drop in total recorded crime in the county – follow Warwickshire Police’s focus on proactively targeting county lines gangs, which transport drugs from bigger cities into smaller towns.
During last year’s crackdown, the force jailed one of the main players in the Rugby drug trade and five members of a gang shipping drugs from Birmingham into Warwick and Leamington.
A further 21 people were arrested and £30,000 of class A drugs seized as a result of an operation targeting the supply of drugs coming into Stratford.
Det Supt Neil Harrison said: “I’m pleased to see the drop in drug crime in Warwickshire and have no doubt that our work to tackle county lines drug crime has played a significant part in this.
“Drug crime has a huge impact on people, especially the most vulnerable members of the community.
“Drug dealing often leads to violent crime as dealers compete for supremacy, and petty crime as users try to fund their habit. By focusing on drug crime we are also tackling other types of crime that impact on the local community.
“The reduction reinforces our message that Warwickshire Police and its partners work hard to protect people who live, work and visit the county. It should also send a strong message to criminals that you are not welcome in the county and we are being proactive in looking for you.”
Visit www.tinyurl.com/y4my3m3q for information on how to recognise the signs of county lines gangs.
Anyone with information about the supply of drugs in Warwickshire should call police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
