Express & Star

Crackdown on the drugs! Residents demand action over street dealers

Communities have demanded police do more to crack down on drug dealing.

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The city's force held a forum to get views from citizens where number of concerns were raised.

Five homes were recently shut to outsiders in Chester Street, Whitmore Reans, following a series of quick-fire busts in July – but residents have insisted more needs to be done.

Chief Superintendent Jayne Meir said: "The community wants to see police do more to combat people smoking cannabis as well as the buying and selling of drugs.

"We recently had the operation in Whitmore Reans, and people are wanting to see more of that." Officers also raided two cannabis farms, one in Bushbury and another in Penn, last month.

Chief Supt Meir said the meeting had seen a decent turnout, with a broad cross-section of residents asking quite a few good questions. "Hopefully we'll be able to follow it up with more events like this because it's important to keep in regular contact with the local community," she said.

"There were quite a few people who had concerns about speeding around schools and young people not having enough community facilities to keep them busy and out of trouble.

"There are also more hard end issues that people have concerns about such as drug use and supply.

"Some had worries about more traditional crimes like burglary, and there were also people raising domestic violence issues.

"There was a mixture really, none came as a surprise. It's important to make sure we keep in touch with the public."

Communities can also apply for up to £2,500 Active Citizens and Participatory Budget funding.

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