Chelmsford: V Festival-goers arrested for drug offences (From Gazette)
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Chelmsford: V Festival-goers arrested for drug offences
12:13pm Saturday 18th August 2012 in Local News
Chelmsford: V Festival-goers for drug offences
Police have sent a strong message to revellers after making 18 arrests for drug offences before the V Festival entertainment had even begun.
The arrests were all made yesterday and reiterated Essex Police's no nonsense policy for those who come to the popular music festival to take or supply drugs.
Four people were arrested on suspicion of possession of drugs with intent to supply, including a 21-year-old man from Epsom, Surrey, a 20-year-old man and 24-year-old man, both from Chelmsford, and an 18-year-old man from West Drayton, Middlesex.
Six people were arrested on suspicion of possession of drugs.
They included a 35-year-old man from Watford, a 27-year-old man from Hitchin, Hertfordshire, a 22-year-old man from Chelmsford, a 29-year-old man from Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, a 22-year-old man from West Drayton, Middlesex, and a 24-year-old man from Slough.
The 35-year-old man from Slough was given a caution and the 29-year-old man from Borehamwood has been released on bail pending further investigation.
Eight people were arrested on suspicion of being involved in the supply of drugs.
They included a 17-year-old boy from Brighton, a 31-year-old man from Gravesend, Kent, a 16-year-old boy from Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire, two 17-year-old boys from Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire, a 21-year-old man of no fixed address, a 19-year-old man from West Drayton, Middlesex, and an 18-year-old man from West Drayton, Middlesex.
Comments(4)
brain1
says...
9:30am Sun 19 Aug 12
Are we all fooled by this Spin?
6079 Smith W
says...
9:53am Sun 19 Aug 12
ShadowReturns wrote:Yes, but hopefully this actually shows behind the spin, down on the ground they're taking a much more level headed approach. Do we really want the police wading into crowds to snatch anybody they see smoking a spliff?
Ah the annual v festival token drug arrests, fed straight to the Gazette so they can tell the county what a superb job has been done by the police in controlling drugs at this event. The reality however is that once again the festival is a drug free for all with everything from a bit of weed to ketamine and ecstasy readily available . Strange how I'm not a trained police officer but I could walk in there today and within an hour identify 40-50 people who are using and likely to be in possession yet in an entire day with all the resources available to them the police manage just 18 arrests.
romantic
says...
9:46am Mon 20 Aug 12
ShadowReturns wrote:It is a more realistic approach on the part of the police. If they were to arrest every person smoking a joint, they would need to process thousands of people. Better to pick up only those who are being really blatant about it.
Ah the annual v festival token drug arrests, fed straight to the Gazette so they can tell the county what a superb job has been done by the police in controlling drugs at this event. The reality however is that once again the festival is a drug free for all with everything from a bit of weed to ketamine and ecstasy readily available . Strange how I'm not a trained police officer but I could walk in there today and within an hour identify 40-50 people who are using and likely to be in possession yet in an entire day with all the resources available to them the police manage just 18 arrests.
Drugs are part of youth culture, and have been since the 60s. Most people under the age of 70 will know somebody who has used drugs, even if they themselves have not. The drug which creates the most problems is, of course, alcohol. Go to A+E on a weekend night, and most of the people you see there will be there because of injuries caused through alcohol.
The police, on the whole, have a pretty sensible attitude towards small-scale drug use, and tend not to arrest for personal use unless it is blatant and obvious, but concentrate on those who deal in the harder drugs. That is the right approach as things stand, although personally I would advocate de-criminalisation, so that the money does not go to the criminal gangs who gain so much from drug use.
ShadowReturns says...
9:06am Sun 19 Aug 12