POLICE BLITZ ON DRUG BLACKSPOT

High-Profile Operation As Residents 'Live in Fear of Dealers'

POLICE will flood the streets of Burngreave in Sheffield for the
next five weeks in a high-profile operation to eradicate a growing
drug problem in the area.

Officers say drug dealers have been openly plying their trade in
streets across the area for the past few months, causing residents
to live in fear.

After weeks of intelligence gathering, police have decided to mount
a high-profile operation to arrest dealers who are selling heroin,
crack cocaine and cannabis on the streets. The 40-day operation was
initially launched last week by officers from the area, but from
today they will be joined by task force police, mounted officers and
colleagues in the drugs unit.

Officers will use stop and search powers on anyone they have reason
to believe is involved in criminal activity and automatic number
plate recognition technology to make checks on vehicles parked and
driving though the area. They also plan to execute search warrants
at a number of addresses. Last month officers found heroin valued
at A#36,000 at a house in the area.

Insp Jon Ekuwbiri, who is leading the operation, said the situation
would be monitored daily and if deemed necessary the operation will
be extended and a curfew introduced. Equally, if it is a quick
success it will be curtailed.

He said: "Historically Burngreave has problems in terms of drugs.
Twenty years ago it was a drug den and five years ago there were
shootings and murders aE" it was out of control.

"Since the area was awarded A#52m of New Deal money six years ago it
is not the place it was, but over the past couple of months the drug
problem has been getting out of hand again and it has now built up
to an un-acceptable level.

"There have been people openly selling drugs, causing nuisance and
making people feel uncomfortable.

"The intelligence we have in respect of what is happening is
overwhelming. It has come from our own officers, members of the
public and other agencies.

"This operation is in response to that and has three aims. We want
there to be no drug dealing on the streets; we want people to feel
safe, which they don't at the moment; and for residents to have more
confidence in the police, the council and other agencies."

Insp Ekuwbiri said the scale of the operation might cause anger or
alarm among local people but has appealed for patience.

"The operation will involve short-term pain for long-term gain and I
would ask residents to be patient throughout," he said.

"Some of the residents might get stopped themselves and that could
upset them, but we will always have grounds for stopping people, and
if necessary we will introduce a curfew in the area, although that
is not needed at the moment.

"The operation could be seen as draconian but it will get reviewed
on a daily basis and if it transpires that in a week we don't need
it anymore we will stop it."

Anyone with information about crime in the area should contact the
Burngreave Safer Neighbourhood Team in confidence on 0114 296 4444
or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.