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New service aims to deal better with drug-related offenders

Monday, 28th June 2010.

A new service to reduce drug-related crime by ensuring offenders get access to effective treatment and support is being launched in Suffolk from next month.

The Suffolk Drug & Alcohol Action Team (DAAT) has commissioned charity WDP (Westminster Drug Project) to deliver the Drug Interventions Programme (DIP).

The service will deliver targeted and quality interventions to drug related offenders, with services and interventions becoming available across the entire criminal justice system.

DIP plays a key role in tackling drugs and reducing crime, and aims to get adult drug-misusing offenders who misuse Class A drugs (heroin and cocaine/crack cocaine) out of crime and into treatment and other support.

Louise Arnold, criminal justice manager for Suffolk Drug & Alcohol Action Team, said: “This new service will redirect the lives of the most problematic drug users in Suffolk and improve the lives of their families and carers and the wider community, by reducing crime and re-offending, and increasing re-integration back into the community.

“It brings a new continuity to breaking the cycle of crime and reducing victims by targeting drug-related offenders and tackling the causes of their offending.”

Clive Emmett, criminal justice interventions service manager for WDP said: “DIP will be more successful for the offender and the community because all partners in Suffolk including police, probation and drug treatment teams, will be working together to ensure each person with a drug problem is supported with the right intervention at the right time to break the cycle of drug dependency and crime.

“DIP allows us to grip or contain disruptive behaviour, to manage each case more robustly, and to share information with partners in real-time to pre-empt relapse.”

Acting Chief Supt Steve Mattin, of Suffolk Police, said: “Suffolk Police are very pleased to support the new service.

"We are keen that the service will proactively engage with those drug-related offenders in our community. Working across the criminal justice system will offer better engagement and ensure fewer drug-using offenders fall through the gaps.”

The service will be supported by a 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week, 365-days-a-year single point of contact number that will offer information and advice to drug-using offenders and all professionals within the criminal justice system.

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