Government expands pilot projects to ‘actively disrupt’ drugs gangs

Project ADDER – which combines targeted law enforcement against criminal gangs with improved treatment and recovery services – is to be rolled out to eight new local authorities with £31 million in funding for the next two years.

Originally piloted in in five areas with some of the highest rates of drug misuse – Blackpool, Hastings, Middlesbrough, Norwich, and Swansea Bay – Project ADDER (addiction, diversion, disruption, enforcement and recovery) will now be set up in two London boroughs (Hackney and Tower Hamlets), three local authorities in Liverpool City Region (Liverpool City, Wirral, Knowsley), Bristol, Newcastle and Wakefield.

The programme brings together partners across health, enforcement, employment and housing to tackle the problems of drugs misuse “across the board”.

The Government said this “immediate action” announced today (July 27) was in response Dame Carol Black’s independent review on drugs, which exposed the scale of the challenge of illegal drug misuse and made clear that a joined-up approach across all parts of government was needed to tackle this issue.

Setting out its initial response to parts 1 and 2 of Dame Carol’s review, the Government said it is committing to a “comprehensive, whole-system approach to tackling drugs” – actively disrupting criminal supply chains which fuel illegal markets, supporting people through treatment and recovery, and ridding communities of the harm drug misuse causes.

Dame Carol has also been appointed as an independent adviser to drive forward the Government’s “ambitious” new drugs strategy to be published by the end of the year, which will set out a full response to her review recommendations.

The strategy will take a cross-government approach to tackle the supply and demand for illegal drugs simultaneously.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “Drugs destroy lives, ruin families, and tear apart communities and I will do everything in my power to stop this poisonous cycle.

“We will not let criminal gangs continue to cash in on vulnerable people, which is why we are setting up new targeted projects in eight areas in England to disrupt drug supply and support those in need with treatment and recovery.

“With drug misuse costing society £19.3 billion a year, and deaths rising, the need to address this has never been more urgent. I welcome Dame Carol Black’s appointment to advise the government as we prepare to launch an ambitious strategy to tackle this problem at its root.”

Dame Carol, who will advise the Government on the development and delivery of its new drug strategy, said: “Drugs inflict serious and increasing harm on society and, as my review shows, the provision of services for those addicted requires a reformed whole-system approach.

“I am pleased that the Government have signalled their intention to prioritise this by establishing the joint cross-government unit, which was one of my recommendations.

“I am also delighted to have been given the opportunity to continue to advise the government, which shows that they want to put treatment, recovery and prevention at the heart of the upcoming strategy. I will use this role to keep holding all partners to account and to support efforts to combat the drugs that ruin so many lives.”

Kit Malthouse, sponsor minister for combating drug misuse, said drugs “devastate lives, destroy families, drive crime and lead to vulnerable people being exploited”.

He added: “We are determined to address the root causes of this poison.

“Project ADDER sites are already helping people in five areas of the country turn their lives around and stop ruthless criminal gangs from cashing in on addiction.

“Now we are throwing a ring of steel around eight more local authorities to fight this scourge and ensure people get the treatment they need to recover from drug misuse.”

The new funding will be used to increase police enforcement activity in areas with high levels of drug use and drug-related crime, as well as targeting the middle market drugs threat. It will also support treatment and employment support services for those with addictions.

Assistant Chief Constable Neil Hutchison of Northumbria Police said the setting up of Project ADDER in Newcastle will allow it to implement “a step-change in our analytical, intelligence and investigatory capacity to support an increase in targeted drug supply disruption and a reduction in drug-related harms and offending”.

He added: “We are committed to taking a partnership approach to reducing the harm caused by drugs in our region by tackling those involved in supplying drugs and ensuring those stuck in a cycle of addiction find the support they need.

“Drug dealers and organised crime groups prey upon those individuals and make it harder for them to change their lives and escape the clutches of addiction.

“Under the banner of Operation Sentinel, we will continue to gather intelligence about the supply of illegal substances and take enforcement action to bring those predators into custody and place them before the courts.

“But we know that, while focusing on those who prey on others by selling them drugs, the police also need to work jointly with our partners and the voluntary sector to ensure people affected by addiction get the help they need, to access treatment and support through the process of recovery.

“The funding provided as Project ADDER can have a huge impact in Newcastle by further supporting our enforcement activity, while ensuring there is a safe haven for those being preyed upon by drug dealers.

“We have no doubt that the project will directly improve the lives of the wider community with the reduction of drug-related criminality while also supporting the disruption of organised crime groups operating in our city.”

Liverpool City Region will receive a combined total of up to £11.76 million over the next two years, which will be shared between Merseyside Police and three local authorities.

Superintendent Phil Mullally of Merseyside Police said: “We understand the power of partnership and it is only by working holistically with our partners that we can tackle issues such as drug crime.

“Through collaboration and integration with local community services, rehabilitation providers and other local partners we can reduce drug-related crime and the cycle of misuse and reoffending.”

Avon and Somerset Constabulary will receive £1.5 million over two years under Project ADDER, in addition to £3.4 million being managed by Bristol City Council.

The force said the police approach to Project ADDER involves investment in additional kit and tools needed to step up enforcement. Officers will increase high-visibility patrols of hot spot areas and engage in targeted days and weeks of action.

“Working alongside experts from health and substance misuse organisations, they will not only arrest those suspected of drug dealing, but also support vulnerable people to get the help and support they need,” said a spokesperson.

“The funding opportunity allows police to bring in expertise, such as mental health specialists, giving police and partners the opportunity to be innovative. Avon and Somerset Constabulary have already commissioned the St Giles Trust to build a network of community mentors to work with young people on the ground, who need support to make better choices and to prevent them from being exploited by criminal gangs.”

Bristol Commander Superintendent Mark Runacres said: “For far too long, drug taking, dealing and the associated anti-social behaviour and crime has blighted the lives of too many people in Bristol.

“Whether it’s a parent walking their child to school passing used needles, a family living in a flat next door to persistent drug dealing, or a vulnerable person being exploited by ruthless drug dealers, many of us witness the harm and misery that drugs cause in our communities.

“Our approach will use the local knowledge of neighbourhood policing teams, who understand their communities and the specific problems which need to be addressed. We need to balance enforcement with diversion and education to make lasting change.

“We’ll improve pathways to support and grow existing pathways to support for the most entrenched and problematic drugs users in the city. This is an opportunity to break the cycle of misery that all too often goes hand in hand with drugs misuse and dealing.”

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said not only is the sale and use of drugs driving serious violence, “but drug-related deaths are at an all-time high”.

He added: “I am committed to tackling the root causes of substance misuse and working with Dame Carol to ensure high quality services are in place to support the treatment and recovery of drug users in the community.”

Further measures set out in the Government response include:

• Supporting police to expand drug testing on arrest across England and Wales for a wider range of offences where the use of certain Class A drug is suspected to be a contributing factor;
• Holding a summit with employers, universities, schools and police to explore how a range of partners can play their part in reducing demand, particularly among those who regard their drug use as harmless – it will provide us the opportunity to discuss how to ensure those who misuse drugs, regardless of who they are or when they use, face consequences;
• Establishing ten health and justice partnership coordinator roles across the probation service with £700,000 of funding in order to improve continuity of care from custody to the community;
• Delivering telemedicine in 86 prisons with £1.3 million of funding to enable prisoners to make contact with treatment providers in the community and continue the treatment they need to help them stay away from crime after their release; and
• A Local Outcomes Framework and a Commissioning Quality Standard to support any future enhancement of the treatment and recovery system will be drafted in consultation with the local system to increase transparency, commissioning standards, joint working and accountability for treatment and recovery outcomes.