Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson – October column

Chiseldon Parish Council shares updates it receives which may be of interest to our residents.

PCC Philip Wilkinson writes:

Two years ago, I and the other four PCCs in the south west agreed to collaborate with our respective forces to target county lines drug networks, along with the anti-social behaviour drugs bring to local communities.

Operation Scorpion was born. There have been six, co-ordinated, regional crackdowns since where all five forces: Wiltshire, Avon & Somerset, Gloucester, Dorset and Devon & Cornwall have focused on preventative, educational, activities or targeted a particular section of the illegal drug network.

The latest Scorpion results, from Monday 9 October to Sunday 15 October, achieved the following results from across the region included: 94 arrests made, more than £73,000 cash seized, Class A drugs (cocaine and heroin) valued at over £90,000 and Class B drugs (cannabis) valued at over £155,000 seized, 62 people safeguarded, five dealer lines disrupted, weapons seized included a crossbow, several knives, and a samurai sword removed from our streets, and numerous drug-related assets seized including Rolex watches, cars, laptops, and mobile phones.

Operation Scorpion depends largely on the intelligence and information that you, our residents provide directly to us or indirectly through CrimeStoppers. So please keep that information flowing.

We are also in the process of developing another south west collaboration to tackle those organised crime gangs operating in the countryside – Operation Ragwort – to tackle rural crime with the same focus on intelligence to disrupt and enforce.

The combined efforts of working together with partners is clear and we will be continuing with this approach across all areas of tackling crime and violence.

Contact Information for this news item

Emma Morton
Head of Communications and Engagement
Wiltshire OPCC

07384 820760
emma.morton@wiltshire.police.uk