Community strategies are vital to effective policing of local drugs markets, says new Home Office research.. The research underlines the importance of effective co-operation between the police and other agencies in disrupting drugs markets in towns and on estates. Police crackdowns on drug hot spots need to be followed by place management strategies which seek to modify the environments of drug-dealing sites. 

The third wave of results from research using the 5000 strong People’s Panel shows that quicker responses are expected. Most of the Panel (94%) want councils and government departments to reply to their letters within two weeks. Most departments have targets to respond in three weeks or more, but few achieve 100% success. The Department for Culture Media and Sport, the Child Support Agency and the Department of Health only achieve about two thirds of their targets.