POLICE URGE CO-OPERATION IN DRUGS WAR

CANNABIS is everywhere and the police alone will never solve the
problem. Parents and the wider community must play their part in the
battle against drugs, Cranleigh Police Inspector, Andrew Nielsen, told
a Drugs and Alcohol Awareness event in the Village Hall on Wednesday
last week. More than 150 parents were joined by head teachers from at
least three local schools to hear Insp Nielsen and other speakers at
the Police Community Partnership Group-organised evening.

The inspector told the meeting that if he had more officers he could
arrest more drugs offenders, but he pointed out that the police alone
could never stop drug abuse - it could only be successfully tackled
with help from parents and the community at large. Although stressing
that Cranleigh was no worse than anywhere else - and considerably
better than some parts of Surrey - Insp Nielsen admitted the police
could only really scratch the surface of the problem.

The big difference here, he said, was that because it was a relatively
wealthy area users were not resorting to crime to buy cannabis and
other drugs.

So far this year Insp Nielsen said there had been 15 seizures of
drugs, 13 of which were of cannabis and two of heroin.

He told the audience he feared that parents who are drug users
themselves will bring up a generation of children who see no harm in
smoking cannabis.

When questioned about alcohol, Insp Nielsen said that this was a
problem for the police at weekends as alcohol caused people to be
aggressive and get into fights.

PC John Bristow, the area's Surrey Police schools officer, explained
what the force was doing to educate young people about drugs and
alcohol, outlining the different aspects which were covered from year
5 up to year 11. Alice Cole from Health Promotion encouraged parents
to communicate with their children about drugs and asked them to be
aware of changes in their children's moods, behaviour, friends and
general attitude that could be indicators of involvement with drugs.

The mother of a child who had become a cannabis user gave a moving
description of the events that, over the years, had led to her son
having a criminal record and requiring psychiatric treatment because
of the habit. She was followed by Tony Buddle from the Drug
Intervention Programme Supporting Youth. A former police officer
working on drug detection, he now works for Surrey County Council's
youth service with young people who are excluded from school because
of drugs.

He, too, stressed the importance of
parents discussing drugs with their children and being knowledgeable
themselves so that they can "talk the same language".
Afterwards Insp Nielsen told the Surrey Advertiser: "It's very much about
managing risk - cannabis is everywhere. "It's a whole community problem and
alone the police will never solve it." During the meeting he had spoken
about a situation that had developed with youngsters openly smoking cannabis
in the Snoxhall area. "We set up a police operation to tackle it and believe
we have nipped it in the bud, though we are continuing to monitor the area
closely," he said.

Insp Nielsen is realistic about the problem faced by the police in
trying to stem drug abuse. "As long as there is somebody wanting or
demanding cannabis, there will be someone there to supply it. And the
supply is not necessarily through a dark shadowy figure - the chances
are that it is a friend or family member. "The whole emphasis is about
being open with children and young people and raising awareness of the
dangers of cannabis, which is often perceived as a safe drug, so young
people can make informed decisions," added Insp Nielsen.