Crime & Disorder & Drugs Audit 2004 - Other Crime and Disorder Issues

Mervyn Middleton, Community Safety Partnership Co-Ordinator

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• Publié par: Utto
• Nombre de lectures: 16
• Langue: English

Extrait

Broadland Crime and Disorder
and Drugs Audit 2004
Other Crime and Disorder Issues1.1 Other crime and disorder issues
1.1.1 Robbery
There were 10 robberies in Broadland in 2000-1, 11 in 2001-2, 15 in 2002-3 and 14 in
2003-4 [Source: NC1]. Hence, robbery is not a high volume crime in Broadland.
1.1.2 Victim Support Norfolk
Victim Support Norfolk does not have a Broadland branch [Source: VSN].
1.1.3 ASBOs
According to Broadland District Council, 1 ASBO (Anti-Social Behaviour Order) was issued
in Broadland in 2003-4, and it has not been breached. No ASBOs were issued prior to
April 2003.
1.1.4 Abandoned vehicles
In the Broadland CDRP area, 203 abandoned vehicles were delivered to Norfolk County
Council in 2002-3, and 150 in 2003-4 [Source: NCC]
1.1.5 Deliberate fires
Data from Norfolk Fire Service shows that there were 217 deliberate fires (where financial
loss was incurred by the owner/ insurer) in the Broadland area between 1 April 2003 and
31 March 2004 [Source: NFS]. This represents 19.5% of the total for the County.
1.1.6 Discarded needles
Broadland District Council state that the numbers of discarded needles reported are very
small in Broadland, therefore formal records are not kept. In 2003-4, there were fewer than
20 needles reported, and approximately 5 callouts to deal with them. These annual figures
have remained stable over the past 5 years.
An examination of CAD reported incidents for the year 2003-04 revealed 16 incidents in
Broadland involving needles that were discovered lying around or sticking in objects, or
found in bags or on the person [Source: NC2].
CDRP Analyst, Eastern, April 2005 2x
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2 Drugs and alcohol
2.1 Introduction
2.1.1 About Norfolk Drug and Alcohol Action Team
Norfolk Drug and Alcohol Action Team (DAAT) is one of 149 across the country. Drug
Action Teams are strategic bodies set up under the UK Government's Strategy for England
'Tackling Drugs Together'.
Working with our partner organisations, we commission and monitor locally provided drug
and alcohol services, raise awareness about drug and alcohol issues in Norfolk and
support the member agencies through training and workforce development. We promote
our work through effective communication such as this website, www.nordat.org.uk and
our newsletter DAAT news. Our main aims are to:-
Reduce the harm that drugs cause to society, communities, individuals and their
families.
Enable people with drug problems to access treatment and support.
Reduce the availability of illegal drugs on our streets by disrupting drugs markets.
Prevent today's young people from becoming tomorrow's problematic drug users.
The updated strategy of 2002 has four main areas. These are:
Communities – “Reducing the harm that drugs cause to society – communities,
individuals and their families”
Young People – “Preventing today’s young people from becoming tomorrow’s
problematic drug users”
Availability – “Reducing the supply of illegal drugs”
Treatment – “Reducing drug use and drug-related offending through treatment and
support. Reducing drug-related death through harm minimisation”
DAATs coordinate the drug-related elements of the service plans of the main public sector
delivery agencies at a local level. This can only be achieved by effective partnership
working with the DAAT member agencies, who are:
Education
Social Services
The Police
Health
The Prison Service
The Probation Service
Youth Offending Teams
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Connexions
Norfolk's seven local authorities under the community safety agenda
Norfolk drug and alcohol treatment providers
2.1.2 Norfolk drug misuse statistics
The diagram below shows statistics for the population of Norfolk, some of which are
directly taken from published Norfolk statistics and some of which are extrapolated from
National research.
CDRP Analyst, Eastern, April 2005 43,718 children have
parents with a drug 8,200 people are
Problem 1 estimated to be problem
drug users
7,360 people aged
16-24 have used a
class A drug in the
284 drug related last year.2
and 2720 alcohol
related anti social
behaviour incidents
are reported in a
year 271 people
in a year are
charged
with posse s-
sion of class There are A drugs
33,943
crimes of
burglary,
robbery or
theft in a
year
KEY 29 People will die of a
drug related death –
= data extrapolated Based on 2001 ONS
from national figures statistics
= data from local
sources
1. – Data extrapolated from “Hidden Harm” – Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, 2003.
2.- Data extrapolated from “Findings 182: Prevalence of drug use: key findings from the 2001/02 British
Crime Survey”, The Home Office, 2002.
Fig. 1 Norfolk dru g misuse statistics [Sources: ACMD, UEA, HO10, NC2, DAAT2, NC1, ONS]
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2.1.3 Setting Drug Use/ Misuse in the National Context
It is essential that we concentrate on preventing and treating problematic drug use and working with
our most damaged communities if we are to reduce the harm drugs cause. (Updated Drug Strategy
2002 [Source: UKDS]).
The Updated Drug Strategy 2002 states that around 4 million people use at least one illicit
drug each year. Drug misuse gives rise to between £10 billion and £18 billion a year in
social and economic costs, 99% of which are accounted for by problematic drug users. A
Problem Drug User is defined as - a person who experiences social, psychological,
physical or legal problems related to intoxication/ regular excessive consumption/
dependence as a consequence of their own use of drugs.
Key findings from the 2001/02 British Crime Survey regarding prevalence of drug use
nationally and in the regions [Sources: HO10, HO11] show:
Of all 16 – 59 year olds, 12% had taken an illicit drug and 3% had used a Class A drug
in the last year. This equates to around four million users of any illicit drug and around
one million users of Class A drugs nationally.
Cannabis is the most frequently used drug, with around 3 million 16-59 year olds
having used it in the last year (11%)
People aged between 16-24 years are significantly more likely to have used drugs in
the last year and last month than older people.
Ease of access to drugs is closely tied to patterns of use. Of all 16-24 year olds,
cannabis was reported to be the easiest of drugs to obtain followed by ecstasy,
amphetamines then cocaine.
There have been significant increases in all regions of cocaine use except for Wales
and North East – where use remained unchanged from the 1996 sweep.
However, since the 2000 BCS, levels of cocaine use have stabilized, with no significant
changes being identified.
In all regions within England and Wales the use of Class A drugs has remained fairly
stable, with around 3% reporting having used at least one Class A drug in the last year.
Eastern region levels of use were significantly lower than the national estimate.
Levels of illicit drug use have been significantly higher for those living in inner cities
compared with those in either urban areas or rural areas, and significantly higher for
those in urban areas compared with rural areas.
2.1.4 Definitions of the controlled drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971
(amended in January 2004)
Outlined below is a rough guide to the classification of drugs under the amended Misuse of
Drugs Act 1971. It is not intended as an exhaustive list. For further information please refer
to the full document on the Home Office website, www.homeoffice.gov.uk.
The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 divides drugs into three classifications according to the
perceived seriousness of their misuse and the penalty that is attracted under criminal law
for their misuse. They are:
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Class A. Class B. Class C.
Opium Amphetamines Cannabis resin
Heroin/methadone Barbiturates Cannabis herb
Cocaine/Crack Cocaine Codeine Anabolic steroids
LSD Ritalin Tranquillisers
Ecstasy Barbiturates
Painkillers
Magic Mushrooms (when prepared for use) GHB
Class B drugs prepared for injection Some stimulant, anti-depressant
and anti-obesity medicines
Table 1 Classification of drugs under The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (amended)
[Source: DAAT1]
The specified offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 are outlined below:
Possession;
Possession with intent to supply;
Supplying a controlled drug;
Supplying drug paraphernalia;
Production, cultivation or manufacture of a controlled drug;
Allowing premises to be used for the supply, production or cultivation of a controlled
drug.
2.1.5 Norfolk DAAT and Provision of Alcohol Treatment
The DAAT has a positive role to play in ensuring that the drug treatment services that it
commissions have the capacity to work with those substance misusers who also have
alcohol misuse problems. The DAAT also has a role to play in supporting the work of its
partner agencies throughout the county in providing advice and guidance on alcohol
related matters. This i