Increase in drug dealing arrests in Chesterfield

The number of people arrested in Chesterfield and surrounding areas for drug dealing is on the rise, we can reveal.
Drug dealing arrests have risen.Drug dealing arrests have risen.
Drug dealing arrests have risen.

A Freedom of Information request by this newspaper to Derbyshire police has revealed the number of people arrested for intent to supply drugs or the supply of drugs has risen from 231 in 2015, to 283 in 2016 and 333 in 2017.

The figures are from Derbyshire Constabulary’s north division – which includes areas of Chesterfield, north east Derbyshire, Bolsover, High Peak, Derbyshire Dales and Amber Valley.

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Detective Chief Inspector Fiona MacDonald said: “Officers continue to tackle drugs in our communities on a daily basis. There have been a large number of arrests in the past few years relating to county lines. This is an emerging national issue which involves the exploitation of vulnerable young people and adults by violent gang members in order to move and sell drugs across the county.

“Specialist teams are set up across the county which target drug use and aim to bring people to justice for this type of crime that effects local communities.”

County lines involves big city drug gangs targeting smaller towns like Chesterfield where the market is ‘less crowded’.

The gangs will send a ‘runner’ into a location with a haul of drugs to sell and who will target vulnerable users, in some cases taking over their home after threatening them with violence.

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The gangs use a single mobile number, raking in up to £3,000 a day.

Speaking last June, Detective Inspector John Roddis, who is the intelligence manager at the Chesterfield branch of Derbyshire Constabulary, said: “It is an emerging issue but I just want to reassure the public that we are very focused on this within Chesterfield. This is a serious crime but we are going a long way to defeat it. It is a huge priority for Chesterfield.”