The government will support police to expand the use of
drug testing on arrest, as part of a comprehensive strategy
to tackle the misery caused by drug misuse and cut crime.
More than £15 million will be invested over the next 4
years, to enable police to test suspects arrested for a
broader range of offences and build an evidence base of the
links between drugs and criminality. This will help drive
down demand for illegal drugs and prevent further crimes.
A total of £375,000 will be offered to police forces
immediately to increase their capacity to drug test on
arrest. The government will offer £5,000 to all 43 forces
in England and Wales to invest in extra testing equipment
and training for police officers and staff this year.
And in addition to this, 5 forces will receive an
additional £32,000 boost this year to increase testing for
a wider range of offences – which could include domestic
abuse and public order offences.
Drug testing upon arrest is already used by many forces.
Police are able to test suspects in custody for the
presence of opiates or cocaine in order to better
understand the role of drug misuse in certain crime types.
Testing is currently used for a range of “trigger offences”
defined in law. These are predominantly acquisitive crimes,
such as burglary, robbery, and taking a motor vehicle
without authority. Police also routinely test suspects in
fraud offences and certain drug-related crimes, including
possession and intent to supply.
The long-term funding would support the recruitment of drug
referral workers who work in custody suites to identify
individuals who have been arrested for non-trigger offences
but could benefit from testing and referral into treatment.
The funding secured would enable all forces to expand their
use of drug testing on arrest, highlighting the commitment
this government has to identifying and tackling drug
misuse.
The government is keen for police to expand their use of
the practice to identify a greater number of drug users and
to crack down on so-called recreational drug use, ensuring
that those who break the law face consequences.
Individuals who test positive for opiates or cocaine will
be referred to a range of follow-up measures – including
treatment and drug awareness courses – to tackle the
problem at its root and reduce the prevalence of drug
misuse across society.
The Home Office has worked with the National Police Chiefs’
Council to identify 5 forces to receive an additional
£32,000 this financial year. These forces were selected
based on a range of factors – including current police use
of drug testing upon arrest and rates of drug possession in
these areas.
The 5 forces are:
- City of London Police
- South Yorkshire Police
- West Midlands Police
- Hertfordshire Police
- Gwent Police
The government is committed to tackling drug misuse across
society and taking an end-to-end approach – going after the
criminals and gangs who exploit the vulnerable, while
helping those with addiction into treatment and recovery.
Our comprehensive strategy to tackling the problems
associated with drug misuse includes:
- appointing Dame Carol Black as an independent adviser
to drive forward progress in this area
- setting up Project ADDER, an innovative approach which
combines tough, targeted law enforcement with improved
treatment and recovery services – the project is now up and
running in 13 areas across England and Wales
- commissioning the Advisory Council on the Misuse of
Drugs to review the drivers of young people’s powder
cocaine use in order to inform further action
- announcing £148 million of new investment to cut crime
and protect people from the scourge of illegal drugs – the
package includes the largest increase in drug treatment
funding for 15 years, as well as additional money to help
police forces shut down county lines gangs
