Crack under pressure

The campaign targeting crack cocaine was hugely successful - 30 people were arrested in relation to 55 drug offences and a 25% increase in drug-related calls to Crimestoppers.

Methods used to raise public awareness included bus posters, a website and street-chalking. A baby, a burglary victim and a beaten-up girlfriend are the "stars" of a series of posters showing how crack users' behaviour impacts on others. The posters, devised by Focus Advertising, demonstrated how the lives of those who do not use drugs can be affected by those who do.

The joint campaign between Essex Police and Crimestoppers was launched in May 2004 and was geared towards disrupting drug supply and use, gathering intelligence, highlighting the fact that treatment is available for users and increasing public awareness of crack cocaine and its associated problems.

In the six months following the launch of the campaign, various raids, arrests and closures also took place. Seven premises were closed down and more than 30 arrests made as a direct consequence of additional intelligence supplied via calls to Crimestoppers. The number of users asking for treatment doubled in this period.

This 'Crack Under Pressure' website was set up to accompany the campaign, which received almost 46,000 hits in 6 months. ‘Crack Under Pressure' was so successful in highlighting the issue of Crack and other Class A drugs that it won the Association of Police Public Relations Award for a planned campaign.

In just one week at the end of February 2005, following intensive intelligence gathering, 43 more premises were raided. More than 60 people were arrested in Colchester, Basildon, Thurrock, Harlow, Chelmsford and Tendring. Fourteen people have been charged with supplying Class A drugs and five premises are being considered for Crack House Closure Orders. This was all part of Operation Crackdown, the enforcement phase of Crack Under Pressure.

Furthermore, late last year, a £300,000 drugs recovery was made in Essex thanks to information given anonymously to Crimestoppers.

Download the Crack Under Pressure leaflet.