The grim reality of drug-related crime

By Steve Brodie
BBC West home affairs correspondent

Police say recorded crime has fallen by 10,000 crimes since 2007

" I got into crack cocaine and started to commit crime - burglary, shoplifting that sort of stuff - just to feed the habit, and I eventually ended up in jail."

Tony's tale is just typical of the vicious circle of drug taking, offending, prison and then reoffending.

With such stories in mind, police in Bristol are targeting 1,000 known offenders who they say were responsible for most of the burglaries and robberies in the city.

The aim of the force, which is working alongside the probation service and prison and drug teams, is specifically to tackle drug-related crime in a "one-stop shop" approach.

In practice, this means that offenders would see the same team of drug workers and probation officers, with some of them visiting while they are in prison serving their sentences.

The demand for drugs never seems to slacken.

Homes burgled

For addicts like Tony there is always a supplier. Hardly a week goes by without the police discovering yet another cannabis factory.

"The greater the demand, the greater number of dealers. The police do what they can," Pc Peter Crawford, the local community beat officer in the St George district said.

"I intend to take the drugs off the streets and by doing this I know that people living in this area will be pleased with what I have done today."

For every crime there is a victim. Cars are stolen and people's homes are burgled.

Joe was asleep when a man broke into his city centre flat.

He did not think he immediately challenged the intruder, caught him and held him until the police arrived.

"I couldn't believe that some one could come into my house and do that. I was really really shocked. It made me realise how complacent I had become about my domestic security. It left me feeling vulnerable in my own home."

Addicts regularly shoplift in the city centre. Anything goes from the £20 box of chocolates to perfume. The addicts have to steal to feed their habit.

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The BBC was at the scene of one drug-related raid

Pc Sue Price works the city centre and she sees the grim reality of drug-related crime.

"I have spoken to a couple of people who had good jobs but when they were introduced to cocaine as part of the party scene they then found they could not pay for it.

"They then had to start stealing... and that's when they lost their jobs. They ended up on the streets and regularly in prison."

If found offenders test positive for drugs, the next step is for the offender to see a drugs worker.

Victoria Cox is a member of the Criminal Justice Integrated Team. The team talk to the offenders and offer them help. Ms Cox says most addicts want to see a drugs worker.

"They want the treatment and they want to go to detox and into rehab. But it's saying it and when they get back out they do completely the opposite."

Educational help

Next up, is a court appearance. Bristol now has a dedicated drugs court.

As an alternative to a prison sentence, offenders may be offered the chance to take part in a drug rehabilitation requirement programme - the main demand being that they stay clean.

The magistrates who run the court deny the programme is an easy option. They point out that if the offender fails to obey the conditions of the programme, they are brought back before the court and can be sent to prison.

Court chairman Roland Kitchen said the regime is very stringent. "[Offenders] meet probation on a regular basis, they have drug tests on a regular basis, they have people breathing down their necks the whole time."

It left me feeling vulnerable in my own home." Joe, crime victim

What is known as the integrated offender management unit even extends to Bristol prison.

Eleven years ago, prisons had just the one drug worker, now there are whole departments working with the local community.

The prisoner will see the same drug worker and probation officer that they see outside. The programme includes a range of educational help aimed at addicts when they come into prison and to remain clean on their release.

The Safer Bristol Organisation which co-ordinates all this work says the joined-up approach is working.

Between 2005-2008 Safer Bristol achieved a 14% reduction in vehicle crime domestic burglary and robbery.

Recorded crime has fallen by 10,000 to 58,000 crimes over the past two years.

In the past four years, the number of problematic drug addicts in Bristol has fallen by 900 to 7,100.