North Yorkshire Police dealing with drugs intelligence "absolutely every single day" despite coronavirus pandemic

Police have continued to receive regular tip offs about drug dealing in North Yorkshire, the force's chief has revealed.

Chief Constable Lisa Winward told a public meeting that the force deals with calls "absolutely every single day" regarding the possession, growing and dealing with illegal drugs, and issued a plea for continued help from the public to help bring drugs criminals to justice.

Her comments came in a routine coronavirus response meeting held virtually yesterday, which is usually chaired by the country's Police, Crime and Fire Commissioner Julia Mulligan.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Chief Constable Winward said: "We have continued throughout Covid to run drugs operations.

Chief Constable Lisa Winward told a meeting that the force deals with calls "absolutely every single day" over drugsChief Constable Lisa Winward told a meeting that the force deals with calls "absolutely every single day" over drugs
Chief Constable Lisa Winward told a meeting that the force deals with calls "absolutely every single day" over drugs

"I wouldn't want to share protected tactics in this forum, but we deal with drugs intelligence absolutely every single day. So those people we rely on - you are our eyes and ears to ring in and tell us if this sort of activity is going on in your local community.

"Because we are out there on a daily basis executing drugs warrants and stop and searching people tackling drugs on our streets despite the Covid crisis continuing.

"We want to protect our public from all sorts of crime and disorder."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Three people were arrested following a drugs operation in Richmond on Thursday last week, the force said, while a 19-year-old man and woman were both arrested in York on Tuesday last week as part of an ongoing county lines investigation.

Chief Constable Lisa WinwardChief Constable Lisa Winward
Chief Constable Lisa Winward

The chief constable added: "There are some concerns about people travelling from high-risk Covid areas to North Yorkshire and that link with drug dealing taking place. We work very closely with our partners and our neighbouring police forces to tackle that movement of criminality across our borders, but we can only do that with your support and your intelligence and information that you can provide to us, so please continue to contact us with that information."