Cannabis calls grow during Derbyshire polices drug cultivation campaign
A police campaign urging people to report suspected cannabis farms in their neighbourhood saw a spike in calls to Crimestoppers.
Weed It Out asked members of the public to be on the lookout for telltale signs of cannabis farms in their area, such as run-down properties where visitors appear at all times of day and night, and a sickly-sweet smell in the area.
Throughout the four-week campaign, Derbyshire police discovered 26 residential farms, where drug dealers grow cannabis in houses or flats before selling it on.
The independent charity Crimestoppers also saw calls relating to cannabis cultivation in Derbyshire almost double, from 11 in the month prior to the campaign to 21 during it, while residents continued to report their suspicions directly to police by calling 101.
Steve Holme, Derbyshire Constabulary’s expert on drug production across the county, said: “The aim of the campaign was to tell people that having a cannabis farm in your neighbourhood can have a massive impact on your quality of life.
“These farms not only make the property run-down and an eyesore, but they attract a great deal of other crime right to your doorstep.
“This can range from burglaries and theft as drug abusers are drawn to the area, to organised criminal groups targeting each other’s farms.
“We wanted to show people the signs to look out for and to tell us if they saw any – and we had a fantastic response.
“The information vigilant members of the public gave us will help us continue to fight this type of crime and make sure that cannabis production and the criminality that goes with it is stamped out.”
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.
In 2012, 203 cannabis farms were found in Derbyshire, containing a total of 11,522 plants.
Police have discovered 57 farms in the county so far in 2013.
Mr Holme said: “Even though the four-week campaign has ended, we will still be working hard to cut cannabis farms and we still need the public’s help.
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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