Agenda item

Reducing Opioid Dependency - Evidence from Cleveland Police and Middlesbrough Council

 

The following expert witnesses will be in attendance:-

 

Chief Inspector Daryll Tomlinson - Cleveland Police

Marion Walker - Head of Stronger Communities

Dale Metcalfe - Community Safety Manager (Operational)

Debra Cochrane - Community Support Officer

(Homelessness)

Jill Fidan - Community Outreach Officer (Homelessness)

 

Recommendation: - That the information presented at the

meeting be considered in the context of the Scrutiny Panel's

review.

A number of representatives from Middlesbrough Council and Cleveland Police were in attendance at the meeting to provide information in respect of the panel’s current review topic of Opioid Dependency: What happens next

 

The Head of Stronger Communities advised the panel that the Middlesbrough Community Safety Partnership was a statutory body made up of representatives from the Police, Probation Service, Local Authority, Youth Offending Service and the Fire and Rescue Authority and it produced a Community Safety Plan that was reviewed every two years.

 

The Community Safety Partnership plan identified the following priorities:

 

Priority 1—Perceptions and Feeling Safe

·         We will aim to better understand and improve the public perception of safety and crime in Middlesbrough

·         Tackling crime and ASB head on

 

Priority 2 - Tackling the Root Causes

·         Adverse Experiences

·         Trauma Informed approach

 

Priority 3 - Locality Working, Inc. Town Centre

·         Reconfigure relationships between statutory organisations and the community. Encouraging and supporting a collaborative approach and building capacity within the community. Create a safe town centre environment to live, work and visit

 

It was explained that the Neighbourhood Safety Wardens in Middlesbrough have a significant role to play in identifying and engaging with vulnerable people and referring them to commissioned services. All of the Wardens carry naloxone kits, a drug that reverses the effects of an overdose. By administering the drug the Wardens, who are also trained in first aid, had saved the lives of 9 people in Middlesbrough since December 2019.

 

The Neighbourhood Safety Wardens, who were also accredited by the Chief Constable of Cleveland Police, regularly gathered intelligence and shared information with the Police relating to drug dealing so that appropriate action could be taken. This has resulted in drug raids taking place in a number of local communities.

 

The Council’s Officers also regularly built a portfolio of evidence to support application to the courts for house closures where there was evidence of Anti-Social Behaviour, crime and drug dealing from a property.

 

A couple of case studies detailing the support offered through a multi-agency approach were provided to the panel. The Head of Stronger Communities expressed the view that people did not choose to live a challenging life, they often found themselves in a situation that gradually crept up on them. Individual circumstances and life experiences could lead to people being in a certain environment that could lead to harmful behaviours. Every drug user was someone’s brother, sister, mother, daughter, son and they deserved another chance and support to change their behavior when they were ready for it. If their behavior was causing harm to the community, they needed to understand that that it was not acceptable and their actions would have consequences. Enforcement did have a place too.

 

The Panel was advised that additional benefits would be derived from increased assertive outreach work to support people to make small, positive steps to changing behavior.

 

The Chief Inspector of Cleveland Police advised that following publication of the recent HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services report, which had highlighted serious concerns about Cleveland Police leaving vulnerable victims at risk there had been a significant culture change within the force, particularly in respect of Police understanding around the vulnerability of drug users and how people became dependent. In 2019/20 Cleveland Police had also led on the Heroin and Crack Cocaine Action Area (HCCAA) project.

 

The Chief Inspector explained that streamlined processes for dealing with possession of drugs were currently being considered. For example, if an individual was stopped with a very small amounts of drugs but there was no risk of threat or harm, procedures to interview them on body worn cameras and submit a streamlined case file outside the court process could be introduced. At the same time the individual concerned would be referred to the relevant support agency or to the local authority to help them to address their addiction issues rather than the case still being stuck in the court system three months down the line. As currently valuable visible police presence was being reduced by relatively low level offending.

 

The panel was informed that Cleveland Police was currently working with partners to divert people from heading into the criminal justice system by offering rehabilitation, rather than putting them through short-term custody sentences for drug possession. Healthcare professionals were employed as part of the custody and diversion team and would assist individuals who had some sort of drug dependency whether it be to opioids or prescribed medications. 

 

In terms of partnership working it was explained that Cleveland Police’s Neighbourhood Policing Team held ‘threat, risk and harm meetings’ on a daily basis with partners including the local authority, local housing providers and fire & rescue services to discuss crime, anti-social behaviour (ASB) and vulnerability. Many of the issues discussed were linked to drugs and alcohol and the majority of incidents reported to the Police were rooted in these issues. At present there were a significant number of reports around street dealing. It was emphasised that Cleveland Police would not tolerate dealers causing problems on the streets. The Police were also working alongside the Council to close down troublesome properties

 

In terms of harm reduction schemes it was explained that Cleveland Police had a number of schemes in place including:-

 

·         Divert schemes to divert people from the criminal prosecution system to rehabilitation

·         Young engagement meetings

·         New programmes to educate school aged children to deliver a holistic approach to the danger of drugs

 

In terms of the enforcement work undertaken by Cleveland Police this currently yielded very little in terms of recovering Heroin. It would appear to be a generational change. Heroin was a dying drug in terms of the younger generation picking it up. However, Cleveland Police had seen an increase in the misuse and abuse of prescribed drugs and drugs imported over the internet including tablets, painkillers and sleeping tablets. People were also moving towards cocaine and crack cocaine.

 

AGREED that the information provided be considered as evidence in respect of the panel’s current review on the topic of Opioid Dependency.