£1.1m Project ADDER to help drug addicts and catch criminals in Blackpool

The resort is one of five areas to get extra cash to help addicts through Project ADDER and it will run for three years with Home Office investment

Standing for Addiction, Diversion, Disruption, Enforcement and Recovery, it will see resort police, Blackpool Council and local health services working in partnership to address the root causes of drugs misuse and break down supply chains on the Fylde coast

The programme aims to tackle illegal drug misuse by bolstering local police capabilities to support an increase in targeted drug supply disruption and related offending; use the criminal justice system to divert people who use drugs away from offending and into health interventions; and a comprehensive expansion of drug outreach, harm reduction, treatment and recovery support services.

Following the launch of the pilot last month, in which arrests have already been made, the Gazette spoke to two of the key people playing a role in the operation.

Det Supt Becky Smith said Blackpool was one of the lucky areas to be chosen for the pilot.

She said: "The aims of the project are to make a difference to the communities that the projects are working within and with the aim of reducing drugs deaths, reducing the prevalence of class A drugs and enforcing those that are responsible for middle market drug supply and on the whole, identifying those that are vulnerable through serious organised crime and diverting them with the help of partner agencies, away from drug misuse and criminality."

She said the difference between what has happened previously and the new project is that a dedicated team can focus all of its time on the issues rather than other crimes for example.

She said: "We always prioritise vulnerability exploitation and the supply a class A drugs but having that dedicated team being able to address this issue specifically for Blackpool enables us to really get into the root causes and identify those that are operating at the higher levels and having the greatest impact on those vulnerable adults and children who are involved in the middle market supply and exploitation, but also those that are using class A drugs enables us to target them and identify them quicker and put the wraparound in terms of our partner agencies.

"We've got the benefit of a lived experience team working alongside us which is a fantastic opportunity and having people who have had the issues of their own in the past and be able to accept help and come out the other side and make a difference with their lives is going to be a real bonus for us because as a police officer I can't imagine what these people have gone through.

"The struggles they've had in the past and how difficult it is to move away from drug supply and use, but having the lived experience team, alongside us working with us is absolutely fantastic because those people have got a real insight into, into what these people are struggling with."

One man was arrested last week after two resort homes were raided by the team and Det Supt Smith said this is just the start of things to come.

She said: "We did a raid on a property in South Shore and that will be the first of many.

"The team will be out and about, every day, and what is crucial to our success is having the community on board with us.

"We need community intelligence and we need people to tell us what's going on in their neighbourhoods and obviously there is Crimestoppers as well that people can report the information for us to work alongside."

Insp Dave Callan is in charge of the Project ADDER taskforce based at Blackpool's West Division HQ on Gerry Richardson Way and he said the criminals should be worried.

He said: "They can expect us to be on their case. We're out there and we're going to be targeting them, day after day after day.

"We won't be just coming after them but will be coming after the money involved as well so we'll be looking to take any money off people that have made through any criminality and we will be seeking to prosecute them and take them through the courts."

Insp Callan will oversee a sergeant and four police constables as well as other staff who are looking at the intelligence for the area.

He said: They're pulling all the information together, then looking at executing warrants, targeting the drug supply in Blackpool and trying to reduce the class A supply in the area.

"The real crux of Project ADDER is to reduce the vulnerabilities. There are some very vulnerable people in Blackpool and there have been in recent years very high rates of drugs related deaths in the resort and we're seeking to address that.

"So there is a full multi-agency team who are working with some of the most vulnerable people, those who have been deemed most at risk.

"There is drugs workers, housing workers, DWP, probation, the lived experience team and each of these vulnerable people is assigned a key worker and they will coordinate the response of the team and all the teams are dedicated to this.

"They're not getting moved off to do other things so there's a real wraparound support for these people and already we've seen a real change in some people's circumstances and their risks significantly reduced and their health significantly increased as well."

As well as Det Supt Smith and Insp Callan, the project has been welcomed by many in the resort and across Lancashire.

Det Ch Supt Sue Clarke, head of Lancashire Violence Reduction Network and Project ADDER Lead, said she was 'very proud' the network is contributing to the project.

She said: This is a true multi-agency, holistic approach to improving the lives of families in Blackpool whose health and well-being has been negatively impacted by class A drugs.

“As a police officer of 30 years I am confident that this approach will give families affected and the wider community hope for the future. We will enforce the law against those who are profiteering out of the misery of others and we will work in a holistic way with agencies, particularly those who have lived experience, to help those who are affected. Our aim is to tackle the underlying causes of drugs misuse and arrest those who exploit vulnerable citizens.”

Clive Grunshaw, Lancashire's Police and Crime Commissioner welcomed the pilot in the resort and said that policing alone cannot tackle the problems in Blackpool.

He said: "It's great to see the Lancashire Violence Reduction Network involved in this project in Blackpool, which truly highlights the opportunities that partnership working can bring and the positive outcomes that can come from a multi-agency approach, and is what the Network is all about.

"The launch of this project is another example of the great work that the Violence Reduction Network has been involved in since my office secured funding for its creation in 2019.

"This is not an issue that policing can tackle alone. It is crucial that all parts of our society work together to tackle violent crime and its root causes head on and make our communities safer.”

Coun Jo Farrell, Blackpool Council’s cabinet member responsible for Adult Social Care and Health, said there will also be a 'young ADDER team' to help vulnerable teens in the resort.

She said: “This intervention programme is not just about cracking down on organised crime, but about recognising that people can be victims of their own addiction as well as perpetrators of crime.

“We will take a trauma-informed approach which recognises the vulnerability of individuals and their life stories. Our interventions will be shaped by people with lived experience of substance misuse.

“The project will build on the existing multi agency partnership work already happening in the town. Using this collaborative approach, we will support and empower drug users to change their lifestyles, therefore preventing the many effects of drug misuse including poor health and homelessness.

“The programme in Blackpool will have three interlinked streams of intervention.

“There will be a police response, including diversion into treatment and support. There will also be an adult's team which will provide mental health support, housing, outreach, help to get and keep a job, and drug treatment.

“Thirdly, there will be a Young ADDER team which will help vulnerable young people with complex needs to get their lives back on track.

“All three streams of intervention will be supported by the council, NHS, lived experience teams, voluntary organisations and other commissioned services, driven by their shared desire to tackle drug misuse in Blackpool.”