South west Police and Crime Commissioners: building safer communities together

The south west's Police and Crime Commissioners have highlighted how successful collaboration, effective gathering, and sharing of, intelligence with combined regional resources to address complex cross-border issues is helping to build safer communities across the region.

Since early 2022, the five Police and Crime Commissioners from Wiltshire, Devon and Cornwall, Dorset, Gloucestershire and Avon and Somerset – alongside their respective police forces, Chief Constables and South West Regional Organised Crime Unit - have taken a proactive and robust approach to tackling drug crime and criminal exploitation across the region. 

They are due to meet next week to discuss further how working together and using the collective resource of their respective police forces has been achieving hugely positive operational results - as well as addressing the harm caused by the illegal drugs trade and associated criminal activities in their community.

Philip Wilkinson, Wiltshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “Collaboration, targeted use of resources and sharing intelligence across a region means we are stronger together and building safer communities as a result.

“We all support a collective vision: making our region a hostile environment for those to seek harm in our communities and our forces, and outside partners, have been doing a sterling job in focusing their operational work to achieve that.”

Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner David Sidwick said: “Our message is very clear; drug gangs and those intent on bringing illegal drugs to our region will be targeted and removed.

"Across the five different Force areas we are all united in our mission to drive drugs out of our communities, reinforce the south west ring of steel and make our region a safer place to be.

“Since this collaboration and close working began, we have all worked successfully to close dozens of county lines, arrest those causing harm and protect the most vulnerable caught up in this vile trade. I know the damaging impact drugs can have on communities; shoplifting, anti-social behaviour and vehicle crime are among just some of the offences often linked to drugs and I, along with my fellow PCCs, want it to stop.

“I want to give thanks to the public as well, as without their vital intelligence, telling us what’s happening where they live and work, this action would not be possible.”

Enforcement across the five policing areas remains a key focus, but regional work to disrupt drugs networks extends beyond arrests and seizures. Work has begun to empower communities by educating residents on recognising and reporting exploitation. These initiatives are crucial in protecting vulnerable young people targeted by criminal gangs involved in county lines drug trafficking.

Mr Wilkinson added: “Drug crime and exploitation of children and vulnerable people to feed these crimes will not be tolerated in the south west. By working together, we are building safer communities and actively asking them to spot the signs and report it

“By equipping everyone – including our young people - with knowledge, we aim to prevent child exploitation and dismantle the networks targeting pour communities' vulnerable individuals.”

Key indicators of exploitation include sudden behavioural changes, possession of expensive items with no explanation, and secrecy about activities. By raising awareness, all Forces aim to safeguard individuals at risk and prevent criminal networks from taking root in local communities.

Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, said: “Drug dealing and misuse is consistently one of our communities’ most significant concerns and Police and Crime Commissioners in the south west have been consistent in support of robust activity to disrupt exploitative dealers and to protect children.

“The way dealers ruthlessly exploit young people is horrific and I am very proud of our collaborative efforts here, over several years, to protect the vulnerable and prosecute those who prey upon those for their own selfish gain.”

Gloucestershire Police and Crime Commissioner Chris Nelson added: “Police and Crime Commissioners are the public’s voice in policing, and we know that right across Gloucestershire and the wider south west, the public are fed-up with the criminality and exploitation that illegal drugs bring to our communities.

“There is overwhelming support for the tough stance we take in the south west, by working together across our borders to get drugs and dealers off our streets and keep vulnerable and young people safe from their influence. We have made great progress, and I hope that there is more to come in the future.”  

The five Police and Crime Commissioners have also joined their forces together under Operation Ragwort to directly target those organised crime groups who target rural communities - and are at the forefront of crimes such as burglary, the theft of farm vehicles and equipment, poaching and hare coursing.

Operation Ragwort is an intelligence, evidence and data-led south west regional collaboration to robustly tackle rural and heritage acquisitive, and other rural crimes, where information is collated, analysed and shared with the National Rural Crime Unit.

Published Monday 25 November 2024