Campaign to weed out cannabis farms across Derbyshire needs your help
Police are urging the public to be on the lookout for telltale signs of cannabis farms as part of a campaign to weed out the drug.
Derbyshire Constabulary has launched its campaign to find cannabis farms that could have been set up in properties in your neighbourhood.
These farms are used to grow large amounts of the class B drug, which is then cultivated and sold to dealers and drug users.
As well as fuelling drug activity on your doorstep, they can also attract more crime to your area from organised criminal groups.
Police are now urging the public to be on the lookout for telltale signs of cannabis farms where you live and to report any suspicious behaviour or properties straight away.
Steve Holme, who is the force’s leading expert on drugs in Derbyshire, said: “Some people think ‘it’s only cannabis’ but it’s not only cannabis to the police.
“It’s a major way of making profit for organised crime groups, there’s people trafficking involved and people use cannabis as a cash generator for which they can then buy cocaine and heroin, which they then sell on the streets.
“We’ve also known rival gangs stealing each others’ plants, houses being broken into in the early hours of the morning and the cannabis gardeners being attacked while the cannabis is stolen.
“All these links to other criminality make it an activity you really don’t want in your area.”
In 2012, 203 cannabis farms were found in Derbyshire, containing a total of 11,522 plants. Police have discovered 34 farms in the county so far in 2013.
Commercial premises are being used less frequently for growing cannabis while there has been a significant rise in the number of houses being turned into drug farms.
This is why officers are asking the public to help identify cannabis cultivations which could exist in their neighbourhood.
There are many telltale signs that can alert you as to whether a cannabis farm has been set up near you. These include:
- A strong and sickly sweet smell that may be covered up with creosote or paint;
- Cannabis growing equipment such as lights, fertiliser and cables being moved into or out of a property;
- Constantly covered or blocked off windows at the front and rear of a property;
- Visitors at unsociable hours and few sightings of the occupants of the house;
- Strong and constant lighting throughout the day and night;
- High levels of heat and condensation, visible on the windows;
- The constant buzz of ventilation.
The use of high-intensity lights at cannabis farms increases the risk of fire, endangering the lives of those living nearby.
Mr Holme said: “There are lots of signs to look out for. It can even be as obvious as a lack of snow or frost on just one roof in a row of houses.
“That’s because these cannabis farms tend to be hotter due to the number of lights used to grow cannabis and the heat generated by them, which poses a fire risk to that property and neighbouring properties as well.
“So please be on the lookout for these signs and let us know. We don’t just go charging in and say ‘your neighbour told us you’re growing cannabis’.
“You can speak to us confidentially and anonymously if you like, and we will treat everything seriously.
“We do act on the information we receive, so please call us.”
If you want to speak to a police officer confidentially, call Derbyshire police on 101. You can also call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
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