IWCA anti-drugs campaign prompts change of police priorities
Following the IWCA’s recent campaigns against drug dealing on the estate, the police and New Labour council have launched their latest public relations initiative, the Blackbird Leys Neighbourhood Action Team (NAT).
The Oxford Mail has been faithfully promoting this in a series of articles designed to give the impression that the police are now taking action against drug dealing because the NAT has suddenly ‘discovered’ that drugs are a major problem on the estate.
However, the current burst of police activity, including 30 or so drug-related arrests, started over four months before the first meeting of the Neighbourhood Action Team.
On the other hand, it is surely no coincidence that the first police drugs operation occurred on the very same day as the launch of the IWCA-led Community Patrol to tackle drug dealing.
It was made clear at the time that one of the aims of the patrol was to shame the authorities into taking action against crack and heroin dealing-a longstanding problem on the estate that was previously ignored by the police and council.
We are therefore very glad to see police operations stepped up in the wake of this campaign.
While it is not yet clear whether this will lead to a permanent reduction in dealing, it is nonetheless reassuring that the authorities are at least beginning to admit the seriousness of the problem.
If only they would also admit that the best chance of tackling drug dealing and antisocial behaviour on working class estates like Blackbird Leys lies in genuine community organisation rather than another government-sponsored cosmetic exercise such as the Neighbourhood Action Team.
Leys Independent, issue 31, February 2006
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