DERRY City and Strabane District Council have agreed to invite representatives from a number of agencies including the PSNI to update Members on the work being carried out to support drug users and to provide information on enforcement measures.
The motion brought by Aontú Councillor Emmet Doyle called for Council to express concern about the prevalence of drugs, noting the year on year increase of recorded drug offences in the North of Ireland, the increasing numbers of drug-related arrests and the upward trend of drug seizures in the City and District.
It also called for Council to note the public concern relating to re-offenders and justice provisions for those involved in the drug trade and to recognise the fear of drug-related crime in communities despite the dedicated work undertaken by the statutory health and social care and community and voluntary sector.
The motion received the support of most Councillors with Sinn Féin Councillor Aileen Mellon welcoming the multi-agency approach proposed.
SDLP Councillor Sean Mooney added his party’s support, saying: “This is an important subject as it affects and touches upon all aspects of life for those who are affected directly and indirectly by drugs and the prevalence of this activity within our city and district is well documented.
“The stat’s from the PSNI reveal that drug related arrests within our district rose from 2019 to 2020 and there appears to be a marginal drop in drug seizures within the same period.
“The numbers of drug related arrests for 2020 were 442 and drug seizures for the same period were 649. The caution here is that these are recorded numbers and they don’t record activity that goes undetected.”
DUP Alderman Hilary McClintock added: “We all know the massive scale of drugs in our community and drugs are almost considered as normal by so many. We know so many young lives in particular have been blighted by the use of drugs.”
An amendment by PBP Councillor Maeve O’Neill, who replaced Councillor Eamonn McCann on Council, to remove the PSNI from the motion fell with 29 against, four for and four abstentions.
Councillor Doyle’s motion passed with 32 votes for, four against and one abstention.
The Council will now invite representatives from the Department of Justice, PSNI, HURT, the Northlands Centre and the Western Trust to brief Members on their work in supporting drug users, and on enforcement.
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