Leading on from one another, London and Abbeydale Road are two of Sheffield’s longest roads. Stretching for miles and lined with shops, takeaways, and cafes, it should be a hive of industry and trade – and it is, in a way, it’s just that it has become more renowned for its drugs trade than anything else.
Last month, police in the London and Abbeydale road area of Sheffield shut down a prolific drug dealing hotline which was used to sell Class A drugs across the city. Over 450 days, the hotline was in contact with over 2,000 numbers – showing the scale of the dealing operation being run.
And that wasn’t just a one-off. Drug dealing and the serious crime which occurs as a result, has been a problem in the South West of the city for a number of years. But when Yorkshire Live headed down to the area to speak to residents and business owners, we were hit with a deadly silence – as residents and business owners were reluctant to speak out.
Either people “didn’t know” anything about the ongoing drug problems in the area, or they were too afraid to speak out. Yorkshire Live contacted South Yorkshire Police to find out more about why drugs have been such an issue for the area of the city, and the work that they’ve been doing to dismantle drug gangs on London and Abbeydale Road.
Following a series of violent crime incidents in the Abbeydale Road and London Road area in 2021 and early 2022, police in Sheffield developed a dedicated policing operation which aimed to tackle the issues being experienced in the area.
Officers uncovered that the supply of drugs within the area had become a driver for serious violence, including knife and firearms-related incidents. The dedicated operation aimed to target and disrupt the organised crime groups and drugs networks operating in the area through a range of enforcement activity.
In order to tackle these issues police introduced a dedicated policing team into the area in March 2022 who, together with local Neighbourhood Policing Teams and specialist units, carried out a range of enforcement actions including warrants, stop and searches, vehicle and foot patrols and land searches.
In the period of heightened enforcement activity which followed, 114 people were arrested linked to organised criminality and drug supply in the area. This led to the seizure of £600,000 worth of drugs and £130,000 in cash, and 140 weapons including firearms and knives were taken off the streets.
(Image: Yasmin Wakefield)
The areas dedicated South West Neighbourhood Policing Team are continuing to build on the success of this work in the area and have a presence in the area daily, conducting proactive stops of vehicles and building the intelligence picture around offending.
A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police added: “In addition, they work closely with local authority housing teams to target known offenders and properties linked to drug supply, while ensuring those vulnerable are protected. The team also works closely with local community groups to share information and create action plans around people, locations and offenders.
“These activities continue to deliver positive results with arrests continuing to be made, as well as vehicles and weapons being seized.” The force also continues to tackle drug dealing in the area. Just last month, the force’s dedicated team tackling organised crime, Operation Fortify, secured the force’s first Drug Dealing Telecommunications Restriction Order (DDTRO).
The order was secured in relation to a ‘county lines’ drug line known to be operating in the Abbeydale Road and London Road area and advertising Class A drugs, notably cocaine, for sale. Over a 450-day period, the number was in contact with 2,214 numbers, showing the scale of the dealing operation being run on the phone line.
The order meant the phone line was taken down by the network provider, disconnecting it from the network and ensuring the number can never again be used. A spokesperson added: “Drug dealing and the associated organised crime is a priority for South Yorkshire Police and we will continue to target dealers who cause misery in our communities.”
(Image: South Yorkshire Police)
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