WHEN Tower Hamlets Council had a Day of Action against drugs, a couple of days ago, we called for the Council to roll out anti-drug actions across the borough. They did.
OK: we are not claiming cause and effect, because the local action must have been weeks in the planning, but it is still very much a step in the right direction.
The Council says, “Following intelligence received from police, a sweep was conducted of Leyland House on the Will Crooks estate with the THEOs and the drugs dog, resulting in a quantity of Class A drugs being taken off the streets.” It repeated its commitment to using all its enforcement powers to tackle drug dealing as well as supporting those with an addiction and offering them rehabilitation.
The Council’s Facebook post attracted a number of comments. Some people commented that the key safe – shown in the Council’s photo as housing the drugs they apprehended – was similar to key safes on many, possibly all estates – even on school railings. These may hold drugs or keys to cars which the dealers use.
Other commentators asked for the police or anti-drugs team to go to other venues, such as Wapping Green Park, Deal Street, Middleton Green, Old Bethnal Green Road, Weavers Fields, Ion Square Gardens, St Matthew’s Church, locations such as train stations popular with rough sleepers.
WhatsApp groups on which the Council’s Facebook story has been posted have prompted discussion on the high level of drug dealing on the Isle of Dogs. There have also been debates on what kind of drugs the Council Team and police should be targeting. Some people have argued that more attention should be paid to Nitrous Oxide, as this has led to a number of car crashes – and, sometimes, fatalities.
The Council is definitely on to something here. This initial action needs to be followed up with more sweeps. The Council and Queen Mary, University of London, ran a powerful campaign in the autumn of 2023, highlighting the dangers of using NO2: perhaps that needs de-mothballing and running again. In the meantime, we await hearing about the next anti-drugs action.
●Read more about this story: Council and Queen Mary reveal truth about NO2
●Read more about it: Council says drink & drug-related ASB down 5% Drugs dispute led to murder on Isle of Dogs