Police ask for help in shopping drug dealers

Date published: 20/05/2008

Rochdalians are being urged to shop local drug dealers in a bid to drive down the spiralling levels of crime caused by substance abuse.

Greater Manchester Police launched National Tackling Drugs Week this week with the uncompromising message “rat on a rat”, as officers highlighted the importance of the public in nailing the drug dealers who wreak misery on their neighbourhoods.

The crackdown comes after recent statistics showed that nearly half the number of drugs tests carried out on people arrested for violence against a person tested positive for class A drugs.

Across Greater Manchester, Between September 1, 2007, and March 31, 2008, 410 people were tested for drugs and 198 came back positive, with 130 for crack cocaine, 26 for heroin and 46 testing positive for both.

Chief Superintendent Peter Mason, said: “The use and sale of drugs causes devastating effects, which have far reaching consequences.

“It can be quite surprising how many crimes committed relate back to drugs, from robberies on the street to, in extreme cases, murder.”