Public urged to help police fight drug crime in new bus campaign

Dorset’s Police and Crime Commissioner has called on people to supply the missing jigsaw pieces which can help tackle drug crime.

David Sidwick was speaking at the official launch of a new bus advertising campaign in Poole.

The adverts urge people to ‘Tell us where the ‘deal’ is and we will deal with it’.

Mr Sidwick. pictured, said the public have a vital role to play in fighting crime.

He said: “Somebody may have half a registration number of a car which is doing suspicious things, somebody else may have the description of somebody.

“Somebody else may know what time they’re in a place and it’s regular.

“There are all these pieces of information which the police will use in order to build a case and then take action.”

For more than two years, Dorset has been at the forefront of a county-lines busting initiative, Operation Scorpion.

It has joined neighbouring police forces in Avon and Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, the respective Offices of the Police and Crime Commissioners, British Transport Police, South West Regional Organised Crime Unit and the independent charity Crimestoppers.

In the previous phase of the regional crackdown last October, Dorset officers made 26 drug-related arrests and seized more than £93,000 worth of illegal drugs, along with 17 mobile phones during county-wide operations.

Mr Sidwick was joined by Assistant Chief Constable Steve Lyne at Seldown Coach Park in Poole for the official launch of the bus advertising campaign.

• To report information, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or use their non-traceable form online. You can also use the StreetSafe app, a service which allows you to report safety concerns in public places without giving your or report information and intelligence to police online at www.dorset.police.uk/intelligence or call the force on 101.