There will be no let up in the fight against drugs

High-visibility police patrols being carried out on trains by Liskeard officers

The impact of illegal drugs within our communities is utterly devasting on so many different levels which is why tackling it remains one of the top priorities within my Police and Crime Plan. 

Drug taking can not only lead to tragic consequences for users but also significantly impacts on the lives of families, businesses and communities affected by it. To disrupt the supply of drugs across the South West, relentless co-ordinated efforts have included creating a “ring of steel” to prevent them from entering the region. It is working and is sending out a clear message that drugs will not be tolerated here.  

This has been achieved through collaborative partnerships and adopting an intelligence led approach, aided by vital information provided by the public. Drug warrants and seizures have been carried out in many areas across our region within the past few weeks including Camborne, Bodmin, Porthleven and South Molton.  

The latter saw police carry out a Misuse of Drugs Act warrant at a disused building on Broad Street. Officers located a cannabis grow and arrested a man in his 30s on suspicion of being concerned in the production of a Class B drug. 

A much larger scale police operation recently led to six people being sentenced to a total of nearly 40 years in prison for flooding North Devon with cocaine, estimated to be worth £4 million. 

The organised crime group had members in North Devon, West Yorkshire and Merseyside. They utilised couriers who travelled to Liverpool to pick up cocaine and transport it to Devon where it would be distributed to street sellers for onward sale. 

It is imperative that drugs are taken off the streets and those who supply them receive the appropriate sentences, while also helping to safeguard vulnerable people impacted by their crimes. 

At my last Commissioner’s Accountability Board meeting - held monthly to hold the police to account on behalf of the people of Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly – one of the areas I sought assurance on was the delivery of my Police and Crime Plan priority of drugs and alcohol.  

I was encouraged to hear about successes being achieved through the force’s OPCC funded Drugs Intel Desk. This small but heavily influential team help identify drug threats, disrupt organised crime groups and work with partner agencies and other forces to tackle drug-related issues. 

The police’s dedicated Licensing Team are also working hard to reduce issues and offences relating to not just drugs but also alcohol and antisocial behaviour. They use an engagement, education and enforcement approach and have good productive working relationships with the majority of licensees and partner organisations.   

This month also saw another successful iteration of Operation Scorpion with South West police forces targeting illegal drugs and child criminal exploitation during a week of action. 

It included police officers in Liskeard carrying out high-visibility patrols on trains as part of their ongoing efforts to disrupt criminal activity linked to rail networks, including county lines. 

During the Operation Scorpion week of action across Devon and Cornwall, the following was achieved: 

Education and early prevention are key to tackling drugs, so police officers and the Youth Engagement Team visited schools and delivered awareness presentations alongside Designated Safeguarding Leads about county lines and exploitation to children in nine schools across Cornwall. Local police teams conducted high visibility patrols and engaged with the public in areas known for drug activity in Plymouth, Exeter and Camborne. 

All these great efforts deserve to be acknowledged, as does the need to tackle the root causes of drug use. That is why my office gives funding to some excellent organisations that are helping people struggling with drug addiction and ones which are protecting young people from exploitation. 

If we are to win the battle against drugs, much more still has to be done and I remain committed to ensuring that happens. 

At my Commissioner’s Accountability Board meeting I referred to earlier, it was recognised that strategic leadership and direction within Devon & Cornwall Police could be strengthened to further tackle the problem of drugs and alcohol. This has led me to be ‘part assured’ within this Police and Crime Plan priority and I will continue to monitor how that work is progressing. 

In the meantime, I would encourage anyone who is struggling with drug addiction, or knows someone who is, to reach out for lifechanging, non-judgemental support. 

My office provides funding to four combatting drug partnerships. For support, please contact: