Street drug offer angers councillor (From Swindon Advertiser)
Get involved! Send photos, video, news & views. Text SWINDON NEWS to 80360 or email us
Street drug offer angers councillor
11:00am Saturday 4th February 2012 in News By Katie Bond
STALWART councillor Vera Tomlinson has spoken of her disgust after she was offered drugs from a man in Redhouse Village Centre.
Vera, who was elected in 2008 having retired to Swindon from her previous role as a councillor in Kidderminster, told of her disbelief after police rubbished reports that there was any kind of drug problem in the area.
Speaking at a meeting of the North Locality this week, North Locality Inspector Charlie Ducker said that, following reports from residents about drugs being dealt in the area, a CCTV camera was moved to try and catch the offenders.
He said: “I am happy to report that there isn’t a problem, but if anything drugs- related comes up we can pick it up on the camera.”
However, Coun Tomlinson disagreed and said she had witnessed the problem with her own eyes.
“I have seen young men selling packets of white substance from the back of a car and money being handed over for it,” she said.
“I am not imagining these things.
“A young, cheeky lad even asked me if I was stood waiting to buy some.
“What the police call no problem, I would say is a very serious problem in Redhouse because there are several schools around and the children use that Tesco store as their tuck shop – they go in there when these people are selling drugs.
“It is almost like an accident waiting to happen and I am not happy that it is not being seen as a problem.”
Insp Ducker said: “This is the kind of offence that will only be detected by intelligence coming in to us.
“If it is more of a problem than I have alluded to then I would be pleased to hear about it with as much information as possible.
“I can only assure you that, compared to other areas, it is not significant.
“I base that on the levels of arrests, the levels of intelligence and the level of information coming in to us, but I am not hiding from the fact that it may go on.”
Anyone who sees anybody acting suspiciously in the Redhouse area is asked to contact the police on 101.or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Comments(19)
I 2 Could B
says...
11:44am Sat 4 Feb 12
“This is the kind of offence that will only be detected by intelligence coming in to us."
And then whenever a member of the public contacts them to provide information the police always reply:
"There's nothing we can do without evidence."
The public are becoming very, very aware of just how the police and courts are failing us.
Any police officer who says of drug dealing:
"I am not hiding from the fact that it MAY go on."
Really has to be viewed with extreme suspicion.
dglaholm
says...
1:21pm Sat 4 Feb 12
There was a pilot scheme a couple of years ago where addicts were given drugs and crime in the area fell dramatically.
Its time for an adult converation on how to deal with this problem.
I 2 Could B
says...
2:28pm Sat 4 Feb 12
Maybe if we gave car thieves free cars there'd be no car theft.
Maybe if women legally had to have sex with anyone who asks there'd be no rape.
I'm sure they'd draw the line at letting motorists do 33mph on a clear, empty stretch of road in a 30mph zone though.
MrAngry
says...
2:42pm Sat 4 Feb 12
dglaholm wrote:The war on drugs is being lost so surrender.
ACPO The body that represents very senior police officers has asked the Govenment to review the drugs war as it is not being won.
There was a pilot scheme a couple of years ago where addicts were given drugs and crime in the area fell dramatically.
Its time for an adult converation on how to deal with this problem.
There is another solution. If they get caught stealing - lock them up - and crime rates will fall. If they reoffend on release - lock them again and for longer.
MrAngry
says...
3:03pm Sat 4 Feb 12
I 2 Could B wrote:Absolutely.
Yes, I'm sure the police would definitely favour decriminalising all the areas of crime that they're not very good at policing.
Maybe if we gave car thieves free cars there'd be no car theft.
Maybe if women legally had to have sex with anyone who asks there'd be no rape.
I'm sure they'd draw the line at letting motorists do 33mph on a clear, empty stretch of road in a 30mph zone though.
Locking up serious offenders costs money so they get let off with community orders or tiny fines which are they pay back at £1 a week.
Commit a minor driving offence, parking offence, drop litter or heaven forbid put your recycling box out the wrong day and you can expect a £60 -£80 fine.
The justice system is being defined by the ability to pay.
I 2 Could B
says...
3:05pm Sat 4 Feb 12
When you lock convicted criminals up for lengthy periods of time they are unable to commit more crimes against the public.
The entire problem is caused specifically due to unduly lenient sentencing based on Sentencing Guidelines that are already lenient and which are used as a means to a 'race to the bottom' by judges who appear to view handing down the most lenient sentences possible as some kind of medal-worthy achievement.
Before the last general election, Cameron talked tough about *minimum* sentences (as opposed to maximum sentences) in order to stop judges being so unduly lenient. What happened to the promise?
Build more prisons, put more criminals in them and for longer periods of time and sit back and watch the crime rate fall.
It's not rocket science.
Peter Mallinson
says...
3:59pm Sat 4 Feb 12
LordAshOfTheBrake
says...
4:40pm Sat 4 Feb 12
The whole criminal justice system is rotten to the core and no one has the balls to sort it out.
house on the hill
says...
7:52pm Sat 4 Feb 12
house on the hill
says...
7:54pm Sat 4 Feb 12
itsamess
says...
8:15pm Sat 4 Feb 12
Hmmmf
says...
9:03pm Sat 4 Feb 12
Shhh
says...
7:41pm Sun 5 Feb 12
itsamess
says...
12:24am Mon 6 Feb 12
Robfm
says...
7:51am Mon 6 Feb 12
Build more prisons and make life, etc mean what it says. Of course it's expensive but so is allowing society to denigrate into a situation when people come onto a public forum advocating vigilantism, as opposed to involving the police.
When a society reaches that point anarchy reigns and 'different' perceptions of right and wrong take over.
Hmmmf
says...
11:24am Mon 6 Feb 12
.
It's odd that when the population of this country was low and life therefore a little more precious for its relative scarcity, the punishment for many offences was death. Perhaps they understood back then how one rotten apple could spoil the barrel. Today, with the population exploding towards 70 million, real punishments appear to be reserved only for the most heinous of crimes, the rest are handed a 'get out of jail free' card in the last chance saloon. But we do get to call ourselves 'civilised', which is all very nice.
cherryblossom
says...
12:03pm Mon 6 Feb 12
Shhh wrote:Shhh, you are absolutely correct....that area is a nightmare!, I know many people who have moved away from the area because their kids cant play in the park anymore because they have been bullied by older nasty kids, and the shops is surrounded by flats mostly occupied by the less desirable that the housing association have put there ....I have witnessed people being spat on from the flats above, speakers being thrown out of the windows, food being thrown at people walking into the shop, that place is hell!!! needless to say no longer go near the place!!
This does not surprise me, Redhouse is the next penhill/parks. So many chavs living there
itsamess
says...
4:49pm Mon 6 Feb 12
s--construction engineers--electrici
ans.
Today lack of work in the prisons
converting most cells to single occupancy and allowing cell phones computers is more like home. Prisoners used to go out to farms etc on work duty.
Todays prisons are a home from home--full of drugs etc and learning the mistakes of others to avoid being caught again.
Certain crimes i do believe should see the perps never released. How to resolve the others--no idea. But clearly prison is no longer a deterrent.
LordAshOfTheBrake says...
11:38am Sat 4 Feb 12
A new approach please. With her son being an MP, perhaps he can raise this in parliament!