This week, Wiltshire Police, in collaboration with four other forces across the South West, is conducting a range of proactive and community-oriented activities to tackle the scourge of drug gangs and related crime and violence within our communities.
The impact of illegal drugs across Swindon and Wiltshire can’t be underestimated.
As well as the physical and mental effects of substance abuse on the users themselves, the use of illegal drugs has a huge knock-on impact on the user’s family and friends, often blighting their lives.
The supply of drugs is also a principal driver of much of the antisocial behaviour and knife crime and violence that we are seeing within our communities at present.
While it must be stressed that both Swindon and Wiltshire remain very safe places to live, recent high-profile incidents such as the tragic stabbing of Owen Dunn in December, following which youths have been charged with murder, have raised considerable community concerns.
This is one of the reasons why over the course of this week, Wiltshire Police and our neighbouring forces are working together and stepping up our activities.
We are executing a number of warrants and conducting reassurance patrols in communities to give the public the chance to speak to local officers on their concerns relating to drugs and drug-related crime and violence.
We are also working with partner organisations to raise awareness, hosting a parent/carer educational webinar and we are visiting schools to raise awareness about the perils of carrying knives and the risks of being involved in drugs.
I’d like to take this opportunity to highlight the vital role that every single resident in Swindon and Wiltshire plays in combating drugs and related crime and violence.
You are our eyes and ears. We need your help.
It won’t be lost on anyone that we have limited resources and we can’t have an officer on every street corner 24/7, so what our communities see and tell us is vital in our effort to combat drugs and youth violence.
My ask is if you see something suspicious, please report it via 101 or to your local officers, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
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