Residents urged to contribute to PCC’s new meeting

Police and Crime Commissioner Nicolle Ndiweni-Roberts is inviting people to help initiate discussion at her next scrutiny meeting focusing on drug dealing and substance misuse.

The Derbyshire PCC hosts regular Public Assurance Meetings (PAM) to review the progress being made by the force against her Police and Crime Plan priorities and to identify areas of good practice and where improvement is needed.

Her next meeting will take place on Thursday 15th May where she will consider a detailed report by the force into the work being undertaken to prevent drug dealing and substance misuse.  In particular she is keen to hear about the work designed break the cycle of reoffending for those impacted by substance misuse.

Residents and business owners can submit any questions they have in relation to drug dealing and substance misuse in advance. These questions will be put to the Constabulary and answered by either Chief Constable Rachel Swann or the relevant specialist force lead during the proceedings.

More than one in three (35%) of residents responding to the Commissioner's recent Police and Crime Plan survey placed drug and substance misuse in their top three priorities for public safety.

In response, the PCC included drugs and substance misuse as one of six priority areas in her Police and Crime Plan and has vowed to work in partnership with key organisations to better identify risk and increase access to support and treatment to prevent substance-driven crime.

Nicolle Ndiweni-Roberts said: "Crime doesn't just happen by itself; it's the manifestation of a whole raft of interconnecting health, social and economic issues and very often addiction. To truly make our communities safer, we need to get better at preventing the offences that harm our communities and that means making it easier for people to access good quality treatment and help to turn their lives around.

"That said, those who exploit and profit through drugs, and devastate lives for their own gain, should and will face the consequences. Working with the Chief Constable, we will work hard to disrupt and unmask the illegal drug networks and County Lines operations within our neighbourhoods to cut off supply at source, bringing those accountable to justice.   

"The recent sentencing of a criminal gang to more than a century behind bars following a complex investigation by the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU), is clear evidence of the robust approach to tackling this type of crime.  It reflects the serious harm they do to individuals and communities.

"I know the force is working hard and innovatively to address these threats to our collective safety and I look forward to receiving an update on the progress being made."

Public Assurance Meetings are recorded and published via the Commissioner's website and social media channels.

Questions should be submitted in writing and cannot be in relation to current investigations. The deadline for submission of all questions is Monday 3rd March. To submit your questions, please visit this link.