Pubdate: Fri, 19 Oct 2007
Source: Daily Telegraph (UK)
Copyright: 2007 Telegraph Group Limited
Contact:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/114
Author: John Steele, Crime Correspondent
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?207 (Cannabis - United Kingdom)

DRUG OFFENCES RISE 14PC AFTER POLICY 'SHAMBLES'

The "shambolic and failed" drugs policy of the  Government has been 
attacked after figures showed that  drug offences rose by 14 per cent 
in the three months  to June this year.

Cannabis was downgraded from Class B to Class C three  years ago to 
reduce the number of arrests

The Tories said drug abuse was one of the major causes  of crime and 
that the statistics show Labour "have  patently failed to deliver on 
their rhetoric".

David Davis, the shadow home secretary, said drug abuse  "destroys 
lives, wrecks communities, fuels other crime  and is a major cause of 
our broken society".

"Spiralling drug abuse is a result of a shambolic and  failed policy 
which needs putting right. Labour,  however, are part of the problem, 
not the solution," he  said.

Overall, drug offences recorded by police increased by  14 per cent 
in April to June 2007 on the same period  last year, rising from 
48,300 offences to 55,000,  figures released yesterday showed.

The Home Office said in its report that the increases  "in this and 
previous quarters coincided with increases  in the police use of 
powers to issue cannabis  warnings". Warnings are given to those from 
whom small  amounts of cannabis are seized.

Cannabis was downgraded from a Class B to a Class C  drug three years 
ago to reduce the number of arrests  and court appearances for 
possession. The Tories have  pledged to re-classify the drug.

Police chiefs have expressed concern that the downwards 
re-classification sent mixed messages to young people.

Tim Hollis, the chief constable of Humberside and  chairman of the 
Association of the Chief Police  Officers' drugs committee, told The 
Daily Telegraph  that the use of warnings appeared to have grown as 
police tackled the anti-social behaviour involved in  public smoking 
of cannabis, much of it high-strength  "skunk".

He also suggested that warnings, which do not involve a  criminal 
conviction and record, might be a "simple and  easy" way of boosting 
"sanction detections" -- the  solving of an offence through a caution 
or reprimand,  for example.

Mr Hollis said: "There is a growing recognition of the  harm caused 
by cannabis to individuals, particularly  young people, but also of 
the way that open smoking of  cannabis can cause real fears within 
communities and  undermine public confidence.

"There is also growing evidence of significant  investment by 
criminals in cannabis factories, not just  in the urban centres but 
across the country. They want  to sell their drugs and they will be 
actively  encouraging people to take cannabis.

"The third element --and I would not want to overstate  it but it has 
to be an element -- is that nationally,  for the last few years, 
there has been a strong drive  on improving offenders brought to 
justice, with  sanction detections."

Mr Hollis added: "If people think the problems caused  by cannabis 
will be solved by reclassifying it to a B  drug they will be 
disappointed. It's not that simple."

In Lambeth, south London, where a move towards a softer  line on 
cannabis began under the former Metropolitan  police commander, Brian 
Paddick, and other areas there  have been crackdowns and even 
declarations of "zero  tolerance" on cannabis. In these periods, 
police are  more likely to arrest for cannabis possession.

One zero-tolerance crackdown has taken place in  Battersea, close to 
Lambeth. The local commander, Chief  Supt Stewart Low, said the 
policy had been introduced  because of concerns about drug dealing 
and anti-social  behaviour.

The figures also showed that recorded crime levels fell  seven per 
cent to just under 1,300,000 offences,  although England and Wales 
still have one of the  highest crime rates in Europe.

Recorded levels of violent crime were down eight per  cent, including 
a 14 per cent drop in "most serious  violence."

However, the British Crime Survey, which reflects the  experiences of 
crime based on a series of interviews,  showed a one per cent rise in 
violent crime. The Home  Office claimed these increases were "not 
statistically  significant".
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom