Dialling to stop drug dealers
The Dial to Stop Drug Dealing freephone line has received more than 7,000 calls since it was set up two years ago.
Most of the calls to the 1800 220 220 number were about small-time street dealing witnessed by residents in their own neighbourhood.
Just over a third contained sufficient evidence for a formal report to be made to gardaí but Community Affairs Minister Pat Carey said every piece of information was significant in the fight against drugs.
“No matter how trivial it seems, information is always needed,” he said, a point echoed by Chief Superintendent Michael O’Sullivan of the Garda National Drugs Unit.
“It’s difficult to quantify the results in hard figures. You could get 10 calls and maybe just one call is the missing piece of the jigsaw or it gives you a starting point for an investigation that may culminate in a major seizure weeks later. But any information is always welcome and it will be treated with the professionalism it deserves,” he said
The minister and the gardaí joined forces yesterday to begin a fresh publicity drive for the project. “It gives a voice to the community,” said Chief Supt O’Sullivan.
Grace Wills, a community worker in Tallaght, one of the first areas in the country to promote Dial to Stop, said it had boosted confidence among locals: “One of the things we found was that people were ringing the Garda station more.”
Philip Keegan of the Blanchardstown Response to Drugs programme, which spearheaded the project, said however, there was still a need for greater protection for people who suffered intimidation by dealers.
“There is huge fear about reporting because of the implications for their children and themselves. If people knew there was a similar service where they could report intimidation it might help.”
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