Speak up to stop drug dealing, urges charity
DRUGS gangs are continuing to exploit vulnerable young people in a troubled town.
That the view of the charity Crimestoppers, which is today urging the community in Ashington to help tackle the dealers operating in their neighbourhoods.
Crimestoppers is now asking people living in the Northumberland town to contact them with any information they have that could help tackle drug crime and exploitation in their area.
And the charity has highlighted four key clues to look out for that could indicate criminal gangs are at work.
Crimestoppers says Ashington people should ask themselves the following questions, and get in touch if they are concerned:
Is a young person in a relationship with or hanging out with someone or people that are older and controlling? Do you live near a property that has many visitors at all hours of the night and day, even in lockdown? Do young or vulnerable people have unexplained injuries? Are the curtains or blinds of a house or flat on your street closed all the time?
Ruth McNee, Crimestoppers’ North East Regional Manager said: “Drug dealing has awful consequences for everyone within a community, from violence and intimidation, to exploiting vulnerable people in their own homes, so we’re asking everyone in Ashington to tell us if they know or suspect anything about drug crime to tell us. “We’re not the police and we’ll never ask for your details so you will stay 100% anonymous. Always. You can help keep yourself and your loved ones safe by giving information. It can be really hard to tell us what you know, but if no one speaks up, nothing will change.” Crimestoppers’ says drug gangs are grooming vulnerable people every day.
These individuals, who may feel trapped, are often on the end of a phone 24 hours a day to sell and deliver drugs. They can also be asked to store weapons, including firearms. And homes of vulnerable people can also be taken over which is called ‘cuckooing,’ so that gangs can sell or manufacture drugs, says the charity.
The two-week campaign in Ashington includes using social media to promote Crimestoppers’ unique service, which guarantees anonymity to everyone who contacts the charity.
Ruth added: “At Crimestoppers, our charity has kept our promise of anonymity since we began in the late 1980s, so you can trust that when you tell us anything, no one will ever know. Anyone can contact us online via our simple and secure untraceable online form at www. crimestoppers-uk.org, or you can call our 24-hour UK Contact Centre on freephone 0800 555 111. The number will not show up on any phone bill and we are not interested in who you are, just what you know.”
Crimestoppers also promises that computer IP addresses and telephone calls are never traced and the charity has no caller line display, or 1471 facility.