A week into the ‘Dob in a Dealer’ campaign in Wagga Wagga Local Area Command (LAC), police and Crime Stoppers are urging residents to show their support in stamping out the spread of illicit drugs.
The Commonwealth-funded campaign is currently taking place within States and Territories across Australia.
In NSW, the campaign is being held in 21 metropolitan and regional LACs over a six-month period between March and September 2016.
It will run in each LAC for two weeks, during which local residents will be urged to help police shut down drug-manufacturing syndicates and arrest drug suppliers by reporting relevant information to Crime Stoppers.
Since the launch of the Wagga Wagga LAC campaign last Monday (1 August 2016), local officers have been out in the community distributing information and educating the public on how they can support the campaign.
Wagga Wagga Local Area Commander, Superintendent Bob Noble, urged the community to get behind ‘Dob in a Dealer’ as the campaign continues this week.
“If you’re out and about in the community this week and you come across our officers distributing flyers, please stop and have a chat with them and find out how you can show your support for this important campaign,” Supt Noble said.
“This fortnight is about targeting the manufacturers and suppliers of ‘ice.’ We want to stop the spread of prohibited drugs at the source, before they begin circulating within our neighbourhoods.
“Each time we seize kilos of ‘ice’ during drug operations, we prevent thousands of deals from reaching the streets,” Supt Noble said.
“I therefore urge everyone in the community to familiarise themselves with the seven signs of a drug house. These include strange odours, diverted electricity, chemical containers and waste, blacked-out windows, hoses and pipes in strange places, extremely bright indoor lighting and vehicles arriving at odd hours.
“If any homes in your neighbourhood raise suspicions, please come forward. Your call could be the key to shutting down a drug house in our community.
“It’s also important to remember that while this drug is devastating – there is help available for those affected by it. Your call could also bring a new beginning for that person.”
Crime Stoppers NSW CEO, Peter Price, said drugs can have devastating consequences for the whole community, and putting a stop to the flow of drugs requires a whole-of-community response.
“Local residents often hold the key to information that can help reduce crime, and we are asking people who live within Wagga Wagga LAC to play an active role and report those people that are bringing harmful drugs into the area,” Mr Price said.
“If you have already reported something to Crime Stoppers, we thank you; if you have not and know something, we ask that you let us know immediately.
“By making that one anonymous phone call or online report, you could save not only your community from drugs, but also someone’s life,” Mr Price said.
Please find below a schedule of the local area commands involved in the campaign, including their proposed start dates. This schedule is subject to change. To confirm dates and discuss proposed media activities in each command, please contact NSW Police Media Officer Brooke Eggleton via the NSW Police Media Unit on (02) 8263 6100.