Drug Dealer Crackdown

Twelve police officers and community support officers are out in Worthing today encouraging more people to report drug crime in their community.

The PCSOs and PCs will be speaking to people in the south Worthing area and handing out newsletters explaining the sorts of suspicious behaviour people need to look out for.

Worthing police are showing their commitment to cracking down on drug dealing by executing warrants, increasing stop checks and carrying out extra high visibility patrols. It is after what police think may have been a drug related stabbing in a flat in Rowlands Road earlier in the year; one person has now been arrested and bailed in connection with the incident on June 22.

Last month, officers carried out a day of action at Worthing train station to prevent dealers bringing drugs from London. Working alongside British Transport Police, 65 people were stop checked and four arrests were made. Over the last four months, four drug warrants have also been executed in the south of Worthing resulting in four arrests.

Behaviour that could suggest drug dealing includes:

- People regularly making very short visits to houses
- Cars pulling up so people can look through windows
- Packages being passed through windows
- People you don't know hanging around outside

Adur & Worthing District Commander Chief Inspector James Asser said:

"Worthing is a very safe place to live and we want to keep it that way. We are cracking down on criminals we believe may be drug dealing by stepping up patrols in targeted areas and monitoring suspected dealers. We need members of the public to help us out too if they can.

"If you have any information, please don't presume someone has already told us. If you report it, it could help stop criminals targeting your community.

"Anything you say will be taken seriously and used to build up a picture of activity in the area which will help make your neighbourhood safe. We will deal with all information provided to us discreetly and sensitively."

If you have seen anything that has made you suspicious, you can pass on information to Sussex Police by calling the non-emergency number on 0845 60 70 999 or by calling the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, who will pass on what you say to Sussex Police but will not reveal anything about you.