Issue - meetings

Presentations attached.

The presentation before Members summarised the work of the East Area Violence Suppression Unit (VSU) and the work of the Drugs Focus Desk.

Members were advised that all new police officers, following their street walking duties, were assigned to the VSU for a 4 week period to gain confidence in policing skills around this area.

Key activities were patrols of violence hotspots across the BCU, weapons sweeps in response to intelligence, and pursuing the arrest of suspects for violence related offences.

Performance to date had meant 478arrests (including arrests for murder, kidnap and firearms possession) 2245stop & searches.

The key operations for the team had been:

Operation Alamosawhich had been a joint week of action with NE VSU. 6 x search warrants executed, 159 stop & searches, 13 arrests, with large quantities of class A drugs seized. 7 knives and offensive weapons seized.

Operation  Brancaster was an operation to target cannabis factories in the BCU. 5 x search warrants executed, 300 cannabis plants and £10,000 in cash seized.

Members were also advised of the latest work of the Drugs Focus Desk (DFD).

Members noted that there was a well-established link between drugs supply and drug trafficking and street-based violence and a two pronged approach was needed.

The enforcement approach targeting drug dealers across the BCU was leading to prosecutions

The DFD was a specialist team to ensure drugs supply offences were dealt with robustly. This involved leading, advising and supporting drugs supply investigations.

The DFD was formed in June 2020 and comprised of 5 dedicated investigators, led by a Detective Sergeant.

The DFD also conducted fast-track forensic drugs submissions, expert witness statements to the Criminal Prosecutions Service (CPS) and analysis of drugs offence trends in the BCU.

Performance since the DFD’s inception included 57drugs supply investigations where suspects had been charged to court.

This represented a 158%increase in prosecutions in comparison to the same period in 2019.

Key operations included operation renewal, a Pan-BCU operation in late June 2020. With 26  search warrants, 25 arrests, 3 firearms recovered, £60,000 of Class A and B drugs seized and £40,000 in cash seized.

The Sub-Committee noted the contents of the presentation.