Drug Related Crimes
With the influx of drugs into an area, the threat of drug related crime isn’t far away. Shop lifting could fall under this umbrella, with addicts stealing to fund their habit. Premises can also be a hive of activity for drug addicts coming together to take drugs, leading to nuisance behaviour in terms of loud music, intimidation of residents and property damage
Impact
The impact of these crimes can see residents’ confidence in areas be damaged as they don’t want to frequent areas that they perceive are affected by these crimes. Criminals can also be brought into areas previously experiencing low levels of crime; if drugs are known to be in an area, people looking for drugs can then follow. The profits of drug sales are often used to fund other crimes also.
Prevention
These crimes should be treated with zero tolerance. If you get wind of drug crimes taking place in your area, report them immediately to the police and ensure that action is taken against the crime.
Report it
Call your local Police on 101. However, in an emergency always use 999. 101 is the number to call if, for example:
- a vehicle has been stolen
- property has been damaged
- you’re giving information about other crime
The number can be used to report a non-emergency to any Police Force in Wales. Calls to 101 from landlines and mobile networks cost 15p per call, no matter what time of day you call or how long you are on the phone.
In an emergency, always dial 999. This is when immediate action is required, such as:
- a crime is in progress
- someone suspected of a crime is near by
- someone’s life is at risk
- someone is injured