NSW Police and Crime Stoppers have thanked the community for their ongoing support during the recent ‘Dob in a Dealer’ campaign.
The Commonwealth Government funded campaign was launched in January in the Tweed/Byron Police District before being rolled out in 13 other locations, to target Australia’s supply of illicit drugs including methylamphetamine (ice), cocaine, MDMA, heroin and cannabis.
During each launch, police and Crime Stoppers conducted community-engagement activities to encourage members of the public to report information about prohibited drugs.
The campaign, which ran for two months, saw an 18% increase in drug-related information reports to Crime Stoppers, and of note, a 17% increase in amphetamine-related information reports.
NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Joe Cassar thanked the community for getting behind the campaign.
“Since the launch of ‘Dob in a Dealer’, police across the state have been working hard to educate the community on the dangers of prohibited drugs, which is why it was so positive to see the calls coming in from members of the public,” Assistant Commissioner Cassar said.
“On behalf of all police, I thank each and every one of you for taking the time to provide that information and I can assure you that we will continue to do everything we can to reduce the availability of prohibited drugs and minimise the harm it can cause.
“It is important to remember that prohibited drugs can impact on people from all socio-economic backgrounds and spans the entire geography of this state.
“That’s why it is so important that people across NSW are doing their bit to help rid our communities of illicit substances, and I urge anyone with information to continue to come forward, as every piece of information can help solve crimes and reduce drug activity,” Assistant Commissioner Cassar said.
Crime Stoppers NSW CEO, Peter Price AM, said this is a great result for the people of NSW.
“The events were well received in all the locations we visited, and it seems we all share a common goal – to create safer communities for ourselves and our families,” Mr Price said.
“While we are pleased with the initial success of the campaign, we would like to continue to see an ongoing increase in the reporting of drug-related crimes.
“Drug-related offences not only costs millions of dollars in healthcare and law enforcement, but tragically and unnecessarily it costs human lives,” Mr Price said
Data from the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commissioner’s National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program illustrates the ongoing ‘ice’ problem across the country. In the last year, cocaine consumption in NSW has increased, almost doubling in Sydney. In addition, NSW has the highest recorded heroin usage in Australia.
The Dob in a Dealer campaign has come to an end for 2019, however NSW Police and Crime Stoppers would like to reinforce the importance of reporting information on any and all crime in the community.
If you think you have information about someone who is manufacturing or supplying drugs, call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 for a confidential conversation, or report securely online at www.crimestoppers.com.au.
