It’s a Matter of Priority – fifth week of action and the focus is back on drug harm

It’s the fifth week of Northamptonshire Police’s #MatterOfPriority 2023 campaign and again the Force will be shining the spotlight on drug harm and the impact it has on our communities.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Rogers will lead on the latest seven days of activity, which will focus on education and engagement, with special emphasis on awareness-raising and prevention work in schools.

Detectives will be joining colleagues from the neighbourhood policing team to visit schools in the North Local Policing Area to deliver workshops focusing on county lines, gangs and child exploitation which are linked to drug harm.

The neighbourhood policing teams will also be taking part in high-visibility patrols as well as parking the Beat Bus and holding drop-in sessions for residents to get advice/information or raise their concerns about drug harm within their communities.

For those who would like more information on a specific topic, there will also be a dedicated drug harm Q&A on Instagram with DCI Rogers on Wednesday (February 8). Questions can be submitted @NorthantsPolice on the day or in advance via [email protected].

DCI Rogers said: “This is our second week targeting drug harm across Northamptonshire and over the next seven days, our activities will focus on education and engagement, to highlight and raise awareness of how drugs cause so much damage to our communities.

“One of the main focuses of my week of action will be around Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE) as it is imperative to educate our children on the risks and tactics used by organised gangs to entice young people into their world.

“CCE is extremely common in county line operations and is where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, control, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18.

“Although the child’s involvement in county lines appears consensual, we know that in most cases a young person has been criminally exploited and become caught up in a very dangerous world not knowing how to escape.

“While we work all year round to raise awareness of county lines and gangs, this week is designed to highlight and intensify our efforts. However, we cannot tackle this issue alone, and will act on all information provided by member of the public, where we’re able to do so.”

As with all our work, officers are reliant on the public reporting any concerns they have to us. If you have concerns about drug dealing, or someone becoming drawn into gang culture, please call us on 101, or use our online form.

You can also pass any concerns on to Crimestoppers anonymously via 0800 555 111 or online at Crimestoppers-uk.org