Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones sets up new group aimed at trying to ‘truly combat the issue of drugs’

Ms Jones has set up the Pan Hampshire Combating Drugs Board, the first of its kind in the Solent region, to bring together senior leaders and organisations.

The new partnership will support the implementation of the government’s 10-year national Drug Strategy – from Harm to Hope.

It will see the police, public health, probation, OHID (Office for Health Improvement and Disparities), NHS England, and HM prison attempting to maximise opportunities for treatment, prevention, and enforcement.

The goal is to drive change from every level of dealing with substance misuse, which costs society almost £20 billion a year – around £350 for every man, woman and child in England.

The Commissioner is leading the Board to support partners in working together to crack down on drug use linked to crime and reoffending.

Ms Jones said: ‘The issue of drugs is much bigger than simply the taking of illegal substances. Drugs are the driving force behind a lot of crimes, with half of all homicides and thefts believed to be linked to drugs.

‘Drugs are often the root cause of anti-social behaviour, which as Commissioner I know is an issue that many residents are concerned about.

‘The government has just launched its strategy to clamp down on anti-social behaviour. One of the plan’s commitments is banning the sale of nitrous oxide, or ‘laughing gas’, because of the links it has to young people’s health and offending behaviour.

‘This is why it is vitally important that the right steps are taken to tackle the issue of drugs, including taking robust action to cut supply, treating addiction and changing attitudes towards drugs.

‘In Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, the police relentlessly prioritise cracking down on supply lines and exploitation. But this is only part of the solution, to truly combat the issue of drugs, we also need effective treatment, rehabilitation, and education.

‘Early intervention and education in the lives of young people are paramount if we are to kerb the demand long term; leading to less exploitation, less crime, less ASB, less pressure on public services and less homicides and violence on our streets.

‘We know that there is a link between drug dependency and crime. If we can help break that cycle, we can reduce crime and protect victims.’

The Commissioner also funds the homelessness and substance misuse charity Society of St James - founded 51 years ago - to provide support for workers in the Integrated Offender Management Houses (IOM) in Gosport, Portsmouth and Southampton.

The houses encourage healthy lives free from crime and substance abuse, predominantly for those leaving prison.

There are 21 bed spaces in total housing a highly vulnerable group - between January and March 2022, 50% were victims, perpetrators or grew up around domestic abuse, 85% were not in employment or education, 95% had self-reported mental health issues, and 55% grew up with family members with substance misuse.

All residents engaged in mandatory substance misuse treatment after one month. The average length of stay in the programme was four months and three residents successfully left the programme to live with family.

Of 20 residents, 65% were aged over 35 years, 100% were male, 95% were White British and 10% had a disability.

Ms Jones said: ‘IOM is a nationally recognised way of managing offenders and is proven to be the most effective way to reduce re-offending and keep communities safer.

‘The IOM houses give people a home, providing them with support to stay off drugs and equipping them with new skills and knowledge.

‘This includes training, volunteering and employment opportunities, engaging with sporting activities, becoming a peer mentor and budget management.’