'Hostile' signal sent out to drug dealers in Portsmouth as The News joins police for early morning raid

The message was brutally delivered during an early-morning drugs raid as a battering ram was used to force entry to a notorious address that has inflicted anti-social behaviour turmoil on locals.

The News joined officers from the Southsea Neighbourhood Policing Team for the warrant, issued by magistrates, after intelligence of dealing.

There was a sense of anticipation in the air as 15 officers gathered at the Southsea base for a briefing that ran through key details of their target - suspected to be dealing crack cocaine - and the location they were set to ambush.

With no further delay, the crew marched outside and jumped into two police vans before navigating the quiet early morning streets.

Upon arrival at the back of the suspect’s address in Elm Grove, a group of officers covered the back while the rest powered to the front of the property and waited for the signal.

A chorus of ‘police’ bellowed out before the officers stormed in after battering open the front door before storming through an ajar internal door and into the property.

Sgt Jon Stapenhill, speaking moments earlier to The News, said: ‘We received information that drugs were potentially being supplied from this address so we are going there to see what we can find inside.

‘The object once we get inside is to detain the person or people that are inside there, search the address and search them.

‘We think it is just the one person in there, however it could potentially be more - with links to transient drug dealers from outside Portsmouth. It could well be more than one person in there.’

Asked if had any concerns the suspect(s) could be armed, Sgt Stapenhill said: ‘We’ve done all the risk assessments and we’ve looked at the person we suspect is going to be in there.

‘Although we can’t be sure he hasn’t got any weapons he’s not known for carrying weapons so we don’t think he’ll have any but there’s always that potential when we go through that door - we don’t know what’s behind it.’

Sgt Stapnehill also admitted the ‘adrenaline’ is pumping in those pulsating seconds as officers push into the unknown. ‘There’s always that bit of doubt in your mind where you don’t know (what to expect),’ he said.

‘When you walk through the door you don’t know who’s behind the door so you are kind of running on adrenaline. You go through, get everyone secure and make sure everyone is safe.

‘Once we are through that’s the happy bit, then we start searching. It is an adrenaline rush when you get in there. You just want to make sure everyone’s safe, especially when you are leading the team. I want our officers to get home to their families and friends at the end of the day.’

The importance of being united as a team cannot be underestimated either. ‘We all go through together. If there’s any danger behind the door we have to reassess it then but we are all there for each other and back each other to make sure we’re all safe,’ Sgt Stapenhill said.

After bulldozing into the address police found the startled suspect awake and sprawled on the bed before he was quickly handcuffed as an immediate safety measure. No one else was inside the property where music could clearly be heard playing despite the early hour.

Searches were carried out as officers attempted to track down any drugs.

But despite checks no substances were found on this occasion.

The suspect even engaged the officers in banter and offered to carry out a search at one point in a bizarre turn of events.

Despite the lingering suspicion over the man, Sgt Stapenhill was at least grateful matters had not escalated - with him acknowledging the man’s compliance.

The leader of the police unit was reflective over the raid and said it was still a ‘positive result’ with residents reassurance restored and a possible deterrent being delivered to the suspect.

‘It is disappointing but that’s the nature of the beast. Sometimes it's positive, sometimes it’s negative. We always look on the positive side of it. Although we haven’t found anything, we've shown action and that we take this seriously and we don’t want it going on in our area,’ Sgt Stapenhill said.

‘Just because we didn’t find anything on this occasion does not mean we cannot obtain another warrant in the future and be more successful next time.

‘Hopefully it will deter him and anyone with links to him. He will pass it onto his mates and hopefully they will stop doing what they are doing and go elsewhere.

‘We’ll keep monitoring the address and keep speaking to people in the area and if there’s any further information that comes to light we will take action if needs be.’

Despite failing to catch the suspect red-handed, Sgt Stapenhill was pleased with how the unit performed.

‘The execution of the warrant went very well, we managed to get in there and detain one person straight away,’ he said.

‘No violence was offered, he was very co-operative throughout. When we did the search nothing was found on this occasion but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t previously dealt drugs.

‘It sends out a message to the community that we take drug dealing and drug supply very seriously. We want to make it a hostile environment for them and show that Southsea is not the place to do it.

‘We also hope such actions build confidence with members of the public to show that we will take positive action in stopping that.’

The suspect was set to be handed an anti-social behaviour warning letter this week. It means the suspect could be turfed out of the address if problems continue to persist.

However, officer in the case, PC Matt May, said the process is far from straightforward and ‘can take months’.

‘It takes quite a lot of time. You get the warning letter, then you build up the evidence and then you go to court afterwards,’ he said.

‘So this is very much the first step in the process. He (the suspect) knows there are anti-social behaviour issues there.

‘After the letter is sent to him, it depends on his behaviour after that. If it continues then we start to get statements and start court procedure.’

He added: ‘The courts want to see a sustained period of anti-social behaviour, it’s not just a few incidents. It’s a consistent level of anti-social behaviour that is having an impact on the community.’

Residents, businesses and even members of the public in the street can all have their say on the situation to determine an outcome. ‘It’s such a busy location that if anyone witnesses any anti-social behaviour in the area then we need to know about it,’ PC May said.

And judging by the response from concerned people living and working nearby, police will not be short of suitors.

One person, who did not want to be named, said of the anti-social behaviour: ‘It’s crazy, the music is played so loudly.

‘He wanders about with three or four others with vodka bottles he smashes and having a go at people. It’s been quite bad for a while.’

Another said: ‘It’s been going on every day for the last four months. Glass bottles get chucked across the road every day and end up in the alleyway. I have to clear up every morning.

‘They wave knives from the balcony and whack the balcony with a cricket bat. Loud music is always playing full volume. The other day he went out at 9am and left the music playing loudly before coming back at 1pm. It’s like every day and night is a party.

‘Now he’s had the raid he’s had a warning. The music was still playing loudly afterwards.

‘People are fronted up to by him. No one wants him here.’

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Helen McLean, who runs children’s clothes shop Chantelle Originals, said things were worse in Elm Grove now than at any other time in the 38 years she has been there.

‘It’s horrendous now. I’ve had two break-ins from druggies and despite them being videoed CPS said there was insufficient evidence.

‘We may as well say give up and say to them help yourself.’

Warrants on drug offenders will continue to be carried out regularly depending on intelligence.

Anyone with information on suspected drug dealing or anti-social behaviour should call police on 101.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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