Drug arrests hit a five-year high in 2011 as police 'more proactive'

POLICE officers in Newquay have arrested 747 people for drug offences since 2007 – almost double the number for Bodmin and over 100 more than in St Austell.

Statistics revealed to the Cornish Guardian under the Freedom of Information Act show there were 187 arrests in the resort in 2011, the highest in the past five years.

The total for Bodmin since 2007 was 415, while raids and spot checks saw 633 people collared in St Austell.

The most arrests in Newquay took place on Beach Road with 68, followed by East Street with 45 and Fore Street, 38.

The town's police inspector, Ian Drummond-Smith, said the soaring figure was down to more efficient and proactive policing rather than an increase in drugs on the streets.

He also said he would expect figures in Newquay to be far greater than other towns due to its night-time economy.

"These figures demonstrate the commitment by Newquay police to make it a hostile town for drug dealers," said Mr Drummond-Smith.

"You can see a steady increase in drug arrests. This is not necessarily because there are more drugs on the streets, it is that we are better at catching them and have organised a number of operations to make Newquay a hostile place for drug dealers.

"I would expect to see a higher arrest rate in Newquay than neighbouring towns because of our very large night-time economy, which we know is associated with drugs such as cocaine and ecstasy. Other drug arrests include heroin and cannabis."

Mr Drummond-Smith said drug arrests were generated in one of three ways.

The majority came about through "good, proactive police work", he said.

Others were made following tip-offs from door staff, who call the police if anyone is found with drugs.

Finally, drugs were sometimes found after arrests for other crimes, such as drink-driving, he said.

In the past year police drug dogs have been used at the town's nightspots and railway station, while undercover operations have also proved successful.

Mr Drummond-Smith added: "Building on this success, we will continue to target street level drug dealers this year and have a number of operations planned ahead of the summer, to take out dealers before the season starts.

"The message is simple: if you are a drug dealer in Newquay, we are coming for you.

"We always act on good information and I would encourage the public to report drug dealers to us. You can call us on 101 or Crimestoppers in confidence on 0800 555111."

Lance Kennedy, Cornwall Council's portfolio holder for community safety and public protection, said: "It's a fact that the higher the figure, the more successful the police have been in tackling the problem. It shows that positive action is being taken."