Drug-related crime in Norfolk has decreased by more than a quarter in the last 3 years

Photo: Joe Bunker

Drug-related crime in Norfolk has decreased by more than a quarter in the last 3 years, according to data obtained from the Norfolk Constabulary.

The data showed that in 2022 there were just 1,996 drug-related crimes, compared to 2,118 in 2021 and 2,682 in 2020 – a fall of nearly 26%.

Graph: Joe Bunker

These figures appear to be in contrast to the wider picture in England and Wales which shows that drug crimes fell by just 3% from 2019/20 to 2021/22, according to data published by Statista.

Data from the House of Commons Library also shows that Norfolk had only 3.1 drug offences per 1,000 people in 2020-21, well below the highest area in the country for drug-related crime which was Merseyside with 9.2.

In response to the data, Norfolk Chief Constable Paul Sanford said, “There’s also been a reduction in drug offences, however it doesn’t mean we’ve taken our focus away from drug dealers, it’s a reflection of our changed approach with county lines drugs activity.

He continued, “Over the last three years our focus has been on targeting those in charge of the lines through communications data. This allows us to close lines and stop the flow of class A drugs into Norfolk.”

How much of a problem is drug misuse in Norfolk?

Data shows that in 2020/21 there were around 2800 adults receiving treatment from substance misuse services in Norfolk.

And according to national estimates, there are around 4,000 to 5,000 opiate and/or crack users in the county, with just over half (51%) of these not in treatment, which is slightly lower than the national average.

Although Norfolk’s drug-related deaths have recently reduced and are now in line with the national average, Cllr Brenda Jones (Labour), who sits on the Norfolk County Council’s, ‘People & Communities Select Committee’, is keen to point out why a lot of people start using drugs in the first place.

Cllr Brenda Jones (Photo: Norfolk Labour Party)

“I think sometimes people fail to realise that people take drugs for a reason… an awful lot of people that take drugs and get into sort of bad ways of taking drugs are poor people or people that have problems.”

She continued, “Opioids as everyone knows make you feel great, so if you have a really bad life, what are you going to do?”

“They’re given a small quantity to start with and then, hey it makes your problems go away, or it makes them not matter, and then they get into it.”

The government released their 10-year drug strategy back in 2021, which they say will cut crime and save lives “by reducing the supply and demand for drugs and delivering a high-quality treatment and recovery system.”