Labour has today pledged stronger action to tackle drug gangs as
new analysis shows almost 6000 criminal cases involving drug
trafficking last year have been dropped without a suspect being
found last year - 15% of the total, up from just 6% of cases that
were dropped five years ago.
It comes as Labour accuses the Conservatives of having no plan
for dismantling the criminal gangs which are blighting our towns
with drug dealers and exploiting vulnerable young people.
Between April 2021 and March 2022, almost 40,000 drug dealing
offences took place. However, around a year after these
offences took place, only one-third had been charged (let alone
brought to court) - and almost 10,000 cases still haven’t
been resolved.
Labour blames the collapse in local enforcement against drug
gangs on the shortage of detectives and the collapse of
neighbourhood policing - leaving Britain’s streets with 10,000
fewer neighbourhood officers and PCSOs than there were seven
years ago.
As part of its comprehensive plan to tackle crime and anti-social
behaviour, Labour has pledged 13,000 extra neighbourhood police
and PCSOs, tough new powers for police to shut down crack houses
and neighbourhood drug teams to patrol town centres and
data-driven hotspot policing to target drug gangs.
Labour has also pledged to be tough on the causes of crime, with
strong action to prevent young people from being lured into crime
and to intervene with young people already embedded in gangs.
The next Labour government will make it a specific offence to
exploit kids for crime, ensure access to mental health support in
every school and put youth mentors in A&E departments and
custody suites to support children already caught up in gangs.
Labour has also pledged a Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee for
every community, delivering 13,000 additional neighbourhood
police and PCSOs to Britain’s streets.
Shadow Home Secretary MP said:
“Drug dealing in neighbourhoods, town centres and outside local
schools has become a growing problem. Criminal gangs are
deliberately luring more young people into drug dealing, crime
and violence.
“Yet the gangs are getting away with it while the Conservatives’
huge cuts to neighbourhood policing has left Britain’s
streets without the vital local police they need.
“Labour will not stand for this. We will put 13,000 extra
neighbourhood police and PCSOs into the heart of communities to
pursue local drug dealers and deliver hotspot policing to target
the areas where dealing is causing the most serious problems
“And we will protect our young people, making it a criminal
offence to groom kids for crime and give every child access to
mental health support in school.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
Source - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1130465/prc-outcomes-open-data-mar2022-tables-260123.xlsx
