Marlborough Police are stepping up their on-going neighbourhood drug-related crime activities with a new initiative named Operation Banning launched this week.
A series of events are being staged over the coming months designed to reduce anti-social behaviour linked to the use of the Class B drug cannabis and the Class C drug ketamine, known for its use by vets.
On Monday a sniffer dog was deployed alongside local officers. A number of people were stopped, and controlled drugs were found and seized.
“We are receiving information from the local community that drugs are being used in the town,” PC David Tippetts (pictured), the community beat manager, told Marlborough News Online.
“This operation is designed to show we have a zero tolerance stance to the use of illegal drugs and the harm it causes.”
The operation is not targeting any specific section of the community such as young people and, as far as is known, there have been few incidences in the town of people taking cocaine.
“Drug abuse is something that effects all aspects of society right across the,” said 45-year-old PC Tippetts. “I can’t be specific about the number of individuals involved but, as with any criminal activity, illegal drugs have to be dealt with.
“And the on-going operation deals with drugs abuse that then leads to anti-social behaviour such as violence against the person and instances of criminal damage.”
He is a Marlborough-born officer and a former pupil at St John’s. His seven years in the force have mainly been spent in Marlborough, apart from eight months spent serving as a response officer in Swindon.
He is being supported in Operation Banning by 42-year-old Sergeant Barry Reed, newly appointed to Marlborough (see Marlborough’s new neighbourhood police sergeant), also a former St John’s pupil and a former serving office at Marlborough.
Also in the neighbourhood police team is PCSO Mark Braithwaite, another Marlborough-born officer. “So our wealth of local knowledge is a great benefit to us,” said PC Tippetts.
Sergeant Reed told Marlborough News Online: “This operation will have different strands to deal with the needs of the community such as the targeting of class B drugs which directly links to anti-social behaviour.
“The public will see our team patrolling known areas for incidents of anti-social behaviour and crime. While Marlborough and the surrounding area is a safe place, I would still ask the public to report any information that will help us making the community an even safer place.
Information from the public is one key element in Operation Banning. Anyone wishing to contact Marlborough’s Neighbourhood Police Team should call 101, email MarlboroughNPT@wiltshire.pnn.police.uk or ring Crimestoppers on 0800555111.
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