Police approach to combatting drug crime examined
14 June 2022
The Home Affairs Committee examines how law enforcement is responding to the strategy and what action they are taking to address drug use and related crime. It also examines the different approaches being developed by forces at a local level and consider how successful innovations can be rolled out across the country.
Witnesses
Wednesday 15 June 2022
Panel 1: Police forces
At 9.45am
- Chief Constable Serena Kennedy, Merseyside Police
- Assistant Chief Constable David Thorne, South Wales Police
- Chief Constable John Campbell, QPM, LLB, MBA, Thames Valley Police
Panel 2: PCCs
At 10.45am
- Andy Dunbobbin, PCC for North Wales
- Zoë Metcalfe, PCC for North Yorkshire
- David Sidwick, PCC for Dorset /Joint APCC lead for Alcohol and Substance Misuse
There were 210,000 drug offences recorded in England and Wales in 2020/21, with 71% relating to possession of controlled substances and 18% of offences relating to trafficking. Drug use is also linked to other criminal offences and the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners has stated that roughly half of all murders and acquisitive crimes are drug related.
The Government’s 10-Year Drug Strategy aims to combat the illicit drug use by breaking up drug supply chains, reducing demand and improving treatment and recovery programmes.
Further information
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