Police have arrested 126 people across an eight-month crackdown on drugs and anti-social behaviour in Tower Hamlets.
More than 8000 hours of patrols have been carried out in the east London borough as part of a partnership funded by Tower Hamlets Council and sees extra police resources dedicated to tackling the issues.
Officers carried out 560 stop and searches, seized 52 vehicles, carried out 60 nitrous oxide seizures, as well as handing out 155 anti-social behaviour warnings between April and December last year.
Police arrested 17 people for possession of class A drugs and 13 people for possession with intent to supply class A drugs.
A further four people were arrested for possession of class B drugs, and 12 were arrested for possession with intent to supply class B drugs.
Police also engaged with 560 drug users and carried out 62 referrals to drug addiction recovery services.Tower Hamlets Neighbourhoods Acting Chief Inspector Dave Hodges said: “Drugs ruin lives and fracture local communities.
“Our Partnership Task Force is a perfect example of how the Police and Local Authority are working together to create a community-based approach to crime-fighting and address the crime concerns of our communities.
“These results show the dedicated and targeted work that the Partnership Task Force has been conducting to disrupt and dismantle drug networks across Tower Hamlets.
“We will continue to tackle ASB hotspots and support those most vulnerable in society through the use of this multi-agency approach.”
Councillor Abu Talha Chowdhury, cabinet member for safer communities, said: “Our residents have told us that drugs and anti-social behaviour is a real concern for them, which is why we have made it one of our priorities.
“This partnership between the council and police is just one way we are dealing with this.
“We have had a £4.4m investment in community safety, which included £1.6m additional investment in policing and £2.3m to recruit more Tower Hamlets Enforcement Officers.
“We will continue to crackdown on drug dealers and those who are causing a nuisance through their anti-social behaviour.”
