Crimestoppers join South West police with advan campaign to say no to harmful drugs
The charity Crimestoppers is working with all five police forces across the South West in an advan campaign from today, to tackle criminal drug gangs operating across county boundaries.
Crimestoppers which is independent of the police is working with Avon and Somerset, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Dorset and Devon & Cornwall forces to highlight the harm and exploitation of drug networks. They are encouraging local people to report any drug-related issues and concerns completely anonymously in a bid to make the South West ‘No Place for Drugs’.
Criminals typically recruit children and vulnerable adults through the promise of friendship, money, drugs and more, in return for couriering illegal drugs and money across cities, towns and villages. This is known as ‘County Lines’. These relationships can soon turn violent, with victims being robbed, threatened or injured.
The two-week ‘No Place for Drugs’ advan campaign will remind people that regardless of whether you use drugs recreationally from time to time, buying illegal drugs fuels the exploitation of vulnerable people and can have serious criminal consequences in the local area.
Any suspicions about organised drug crime or concerns about victims can be reported to Crimestoppers 100% anonymously by calling freephone 0800 555 111 at any time or by completing a secure online form at Crimestoppers-uk.org. Alternatively the charity runs Fearless.org for young people, where more can be learnt about the warning signs of County Lines activity.
Fearless.org offers young people non-judgemental advice so they can make informed decisions about lifestyle choices and realise that they have an alternative option when reporting crime.
Anybody can get caught up in illegal, harmful drug activity. Signs to spot that something may not be right include:
- Changes in the way young people you know might dress and unexplained, sometimes unaffordable, new clothes, jewellery, phones, cars etc
- Access to multiple phones/receiving excess phone calls or texts
- You witness them dealing drugs.
Criminals can take over a home or short term let as a drugs base; this is known as ‘cuckooing’. Signs of this can include:
- Regular short stay visitors
- Residents or young people going missing, maybe for long periods of time
- Curtains often always closed during the day
- A change of resident's mood/demeanour (e.g. secretive/withdrawn aggressive/ emotional)
- Unusual frequency of take away food
- Increase in rubbish/drug paraphernalia.
Mick Duthie, Director of Operations at the charity Crimestoppers, said: “Regardless of age, gender or ethnicity, anyone can get recruited and caught up in harmful drug crime. The ‘No Place for Drugs’ campaign reminds people that we can all play a part in looking out for and reporting signs of damaging drug activity in our neighbourhoods. If you recognise any of the signs mentioned, do contact Crimestoppers.
“We don’t want to know who you are, just what you know. Information to tell our charity includes: names and/or nicknames; descriptions of those involved and any distinguishing features such as tattoos; addresses, transport used, ie, a car - a car’s make, model and registration.
“Report what you know 100% anonymously to our charity, if the information you supply leads to an arrest and charge, you could get a cash reward of up to £1,000.”
Crime information can be passed to Crimestoppers at any time by calling freephone number 0800 555 111 or by completing a safe and secure anonymous online from at Crimestoppers-uk.org.
Young people can give information via Fearless.org 100% anonymously without fear of any repercussions. The charity has always kept its promise of anonymity to everyone who contacts them.
Please note: With Fearless.org and Crimestoppers-uk.org, computer IP addresses are never traced and no-one will ever know you contacted them. For telephone calls to Crimestoppers via freephone 0800 555 111, there is no caller line display, no 1471 facility and calls have never been traced. The charity is completely independent of the police and guarantees your personal identity will always been protected.
