Latest news with #DavidSidwick
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
PCC supports calls to reclassify cannabis
A Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) says he "fully supports" calls to reclassify cannabis as a Class A drug. Police forces in the west and south west of England have been cracking down on people using recreational drugs, with Dorset PCC David Sidwick this week reiterating calls for cannabis to be upgraded. Wiltshire PCC Philip Wilkinson says he has seen "first-hand" how cannabis cultivation and use are "deeply intertwined with a spectrum of criminal activities" in his county. The Home Office said it has "no intention of reclassifying cannabis from a Class B substance under the Misuse of Drugs Act". More news stories for Wiltshire Listen to the latest news for Wiltshire "From anti-social behaviour and retail theft to more serious offences like modern slavery and human trafficking, cannabis often serves as a gateway drug and funding source for organised crime groups," said Mr Wilkinson. Recent operations targeting organised crime groups in Wiltshire resulted in more than 100kg (220lbs) of cannabis being seized. These took place as part of Operation Scorpion, a joint initiative by Avon & Somerset, Dorset, Devon & Cornwall, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire forces, aimed at disrupting drugs networks around the west and south west of England. Mr Wilkinson added: "The idea that cannabis is a harmless drug is a misconception. Its cultivation and distribution are often controlled by organised crime networks that exploit vulnerable individuals and perpetuate violence. "County lines operations are the clearest example of how drug-related crime has extended its tentacles into our rural towns and villages. The notion that drug-related crime is only an urban issue is outdated and dangerously naïve." He said a national drug policy "that recognises cannabis as the deeply harmful drug it is, and supports prevention, education, and treatment alongside policing" would "send a clear message about the seriousness of its impact on our communities". Mr Wilkinson asked members of the public to continue reporting "any crimes and intelligence from their communities" so action can be taken. A Home Office spokesperson said: "We will continue to work with partners across health, policing and wider public services to drive down drug use, ensure more people receive timely treatment and support, and make our streets and communities safer. Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Experts criticise calls to re-classify cannabis Police crackdown on drug use in night-time economy Mayor backs report's call for cannabis law reform Wiltshire Police
BBC News
4 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Wiltshire PCC supports calls to reclassify cannabis as Class A
A Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) says he "fully supports" calls to reclassify cannabis as a Class A forces in the west and south west of England have been cracking down on people using recreational drugs, with Dorset PCC David Sidwick this week reiterating calls for cannabis to be PCC Philip Wilkinson says he has seen "first-hand" how cannabis cultivation and use are "deeply intertwined with a spectrum of criminal activities" in his Home Office said it has "no intention of reclassifying cannabis from a Class B substance under the Misuse of Drugs Act". "From anti-social behaviour and retail theft to more serious offences like modern slavery and human trafficking, cannabis often serves as a gateway drug and funding source for organised crime groups," said Mr operations targeting organised crime groups in Wiltshire resulted in more than 100kg (220lbs) of cannabis being took place as part of Operation Scorpion, a joint initiative by Avon & Somerset, Dorset, Devon & Cornwall, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire forces, aimed at disrupting drugs networks around the west and south west of England. Mr Wilkinson added: "The idea that cannabis is a harmless drug is a misconception. Its cultivation and distribution are often controlled by organised crime networks that exploit vulnerable individuals and perpetuate violence."County lines operations are the clearest example of how drug-related crime has extended its tentacles into our rural towns and villages. The notion that drug-related crime is only an urban issue is outdated and dangerously naïve."He said a national drug policy "that recognises cannabis as the deeply harmful drug it is, and supports prevention, education, and treatment alongside policing" would "send a clear message about the seriousness of its impact on our communities".Mr Wilkinson asked members of the public to continue reporting "any crimes and intelligence from their communities" so action can be taken. A Home Office spokesperson said: "We will continue to work with partners across health, policing and wider public services to drive down drug use, ensure more people receive timely treatment and support, and make our streets and communities safer.
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Health
- Telegraph
Put cannabis on par with crack, says policing chief in rebuke for Khan
Cannabis should be upgraded to a class A drug because of the harm it can cause, a policing chief has said. As Sir Sadiq Khan calls for possession of the drug to be decriminalised, David Sidwick, Dorset's police and crime commissioner, has urged that cannabis, currently a Class B drug, should be put on a par with crack cocaine and heroin. Such a move would see the maximum penalties for possession increase from five to seven years in jail, while the maximum penalty for supplying cannabis would rise from 14 years in prison to life. Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley also opposed Sir Sadiq's call for cannabis to be decriminalised. He pointed out that drugs were 'at the centre of a lot of crime' and said drug use was one of the main drivers of antisocial behaviour. Sir Sadiq, the Mayor of London, has proposed that the possession of small amounts of natural cannabis should no longer be a criminal offence. Dealing in or producing the drug would remain illegal. Mr Sidwick sets out his demand in a foreword to a new book by Albert Reece and Gary Hulse, two Australian professors of medicine and psychiatry, who have linked cannabis to mental ill-health, autism and cancer. He said there was growing evidence linking psychosis, cancer and birth defects to cannabis use, particularly with the development of more potent strains. Mr Sidwick warned it was also a 'gateway' drug used by crime gangs to lure in users. They then entice them on to addictive class A drugs such as crack that not only provide more profit per unit but give the gangs greater power to leverage them into criminal activity. 'Cannabis needs to be taken seriously on a national scale because of the danger it presents, and there needs to be money put into prevention and education to ensure people are aware of these dangers,' he said. 'Currently, Class A drugs take precedence when it comes to enforcement and treatment, but it is my view that there is no point focusing on the destination of addiction if we don't stop people getting on the first two or three carriages of the train in the first place. 'Only through reclassifying cannabis will it be treated with the severity it deserves.' The London Drugs Commission, set up by Sir Sadiq, ruled out full legalisation of cannabis in its report because it said any benefits from tax revenues and reduced police workload were outweighed by the potential longer-term health impacts on users. Instead, it proposed that natural cannabis would be removed from the Misuse of Drugs Act and brought under the Psychoactive Substances Act. This would mean possession of small amounts of cannabis for personal use would no longer be a criminal offence, but importing, manufacturing and distributing the drug would remain a criminal act. The Home Office has ruled out any re-classification of cannabis. Mr Sidwick's proposals have been backed by Janie Hamilton, a Dorset mother who has campaigned for upgrading cannabis to class A. Her son James died when he was 36 after refusing treatment for testicular cancer. It followed years of battling mental illness, which his family believes was triggered by his addiction to cannabis, which he started using at 14. Ms Hamilton said: 'My beloved son James was a fun-loving, mischievous, clever, tender-hearted boy who wanted to fit in with his peers and be part of the 'in' crowd. This was to be his undoing. 'At the age of 14, unbeknown to us, living at a boarding school where his father taught, he started smoking cannabis. He became arrogant, rude, secretive, rebellious and unpredictable. I remember thinking how I loved him, but that I didn't like him. 'He dropped out of university after one term and took job after job, worrying us with his bizarre behaviour. He shaved his hair, his eyebrows, cut his eyelashes and became aggressive. He would stay in his room all day and come out at midnight to shower and cook. 'One day, he came home from his job on a building site, turning in circles in the garden and all that night. He told me he had spent all his wages on cannabis. I called the doctor the next day and James was sectioned within an hour, diagnosed with schizophrenia.' She said there had been a 16-year cycle of medical treatment, relapses and trouble with the police before her son died. 'Cannabis is everyone's problem. It destroys lives and families. Let no one say that cannabis is harmless – cracking down on this destructive drug is one of the greatest and most urgent needs facing us all,' she said.
BBC News
12-04-2025
- BBC News
Victim video call service boosts arrests, Dorset Police says
A police force has said an initiative to allow victims of crime to speak to officers via video is delivering quicker Police said the rate of positive outcomes, such as charges and cautions, had also a trial in Dorset in July 2023, more than 11,000 people have requested to use Enhanced Video Response (EVR), the force video interviews - often called Rapid Video Response (RVR) - have been introduced for people such as victims of domestic abuse, who may not want officers or marked police cars at their home. Dorset's scheme was formally launched in July 2024 and is chosen by about 165 crime victims a week, the force Supt Stewart Gates said: "So far, incidents that have been dealt with by our EVR team have resulted in an arrest or formal suspect interview almost four times higher than elsewhere in the force."Investigations leading to a positive outcome, such as an offender being charged or given a caution, [are] more than three times higher."Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner David Sidwick said because of EVR "responses to the highest-grade emergency calls are improving".He said the service delivered "increased efficiency, better use of officer time and a reduction in vehicle costs, as well as fuel and maintenance".The commissioner added: "These savings are then being invested back into the frontline, helping to reduce response times to emergency calls requiring immediate or urgent in-person attendance."The force said it currently responded to 80% of the most urgent emergencies within 20 minutes.
