TOGETHER WE CAN BEAT DRUG CRIME

Authorities Are United in Commitment

BURGLARY, shoplifting and car crime in Reading should be slashed in the
next year as the town's drug problem is tackled head-on.

That was the promise made by Reading Borough Council, the police and health
authority yesterday as they pledged to eradicate the scourge of drugs in
the town.

Shortfalls in drug treatment have exacerbated Reading's drug problem and
there has been an explosion of heroin and crack-cocaine abuse.

But at yesterday's Community Safety Conference the key players have now
signed up to a Reading Commitment to:

*Cut domestic burglary, shoplifting and car theft by 10 per cent in the
next year, meaning 511 fewer car crimes, 233 fewer burglaries and 175 fewer
incidents of shoplifting.

*Ensure everyone referred to drug treatment through the Criminal Justice
Intervention Programme (CJIP) has a monitored care plan.

*Produce a local directory of drug services.

*Provide a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week telephone service for addicts or
former addicts leaving prison or rehabilitation.

*Provide a programme of drug education for young people.

*Meet or beat a target of two weeks to provide drug treatment for criminals
put on drug treatment court orders.

*Develop a network of support groups for carers and families.

*Publish budgets to show how much money is put into drugs work.

*Undertake the supervision of 60 drug dependant offenders on Drug Treatment
and Testing Orders.

*Campaign to get information to arrest and convict dealers and those
committing drug-related crime from the public.

The initiative is born out of a borough council inquiry into drug-related
crime held last month.

It heard Reading was systematically failing to treat users and break the
cycle of crime.

The Reading Commitment has now been integrated into the Reading and Crime
and Disorder Reduction Partnership.

Yesterday's conference heard that only by working together in partnership
could the key players improve prevention and education, treatment and
enforcement.

Councillor Viki Lloyd, head of community action in Reading, launched the
initiative.

She said: "The Reading Commitment has been signed by all the major public
services in our town to work together in tackling drugs and drug-related crime.

"This is a ground-breaking scheme that could be a first in the UK. It puts
Reading at the cutting edge in the fight against drugs and sets a series of
targets.

"We have all said we will report back to the public and interested parties
in 12 months and all public sector workers can be held responsible. All the
organisations are committed to the Reading Commitment and we will have
something very positive to feed back to the community."

The pledges made in the Reading Commitment formed part of yesterday's
Community Safety Conference. It also heard progress reports from the
Community Safety Strategy launched in April 2002, with guest speakers
including Ch Supt Dave Murray, Avril Wilson, head of Safer Communities,
Peter Wheelhouse, head of Criminal Justice Intervention at the Home Office,
and Reading West MP Martin Salter.

The Reading Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership includes Reading
Borough Council, Thames Valley Police (Reading and Wokingham area), The
Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service, Reading NHS Primary Care Trust,
National Probation Service Thames Valley, Reading and Wokingham Youth
Offending team and the multi-agency Reading Drug Action Team.