Neighbourhood policing officers in part of Leeds have enlisted the help of local housing staff to help root out cannabis factories set up in residential streets.
A group of 30 staff from West North West homes Leeds were given tips on the signs to look for when they took part in an event hosted by the North West Inner Neighbourhood Policing Team at Belle Vue police building.
The presentation by PC Mick Herbert outlined exactly how cannabis factories are set up in homes, the equipment used, what the plants look like and the distinctive smell that emanates from them. It also highlighted what local officers have been doing to tackle the issue, including using handheld thermal imaging cameras to identify properties giving off large amounts of heat from the powerful lights used in the growing process. Ijaz Khan, Safer Estates Performance Manager for West North West homes Leeds, said: "We are very pleased to be working alongside the police and helping them to identify any cannabis factories in our communities. This type of criminal activity can obviously have a negative impact on the lives of our tenants and so it’s important that we play our part in helping the police to tackle the issue."
Inspector Fran Naughton, from the North West Inner NPT, said: "We know that organised criminals continue to try to use homes in residential streets to grow cannabis on a large scale, and we remain determined to keep disrupting their illegal activities. It is incredibly useful for us to have the extra ‘eyes and ears’ of housing staff out there in the community to help us find cannabis factories.
"We have had a lot of success in finding these set-ups and arresting the people behind them. Much of that has been down to information from the public."
"I continue to encourage residents to look out for suspicious activity in their streets that could indicate a property is being used to grow cannabis. If people notice an unusual smell, see curtains closed with lights on all day, equipment such as lights being delivered, or people coming and going at all hours, I would urge them to pass their suspicions on to us."
Anyone with suspicions about a property on their street should contact their local neighbourhood policing team via 0845 606 0606 or Crimestoppers, anonymously and in confidence, on 0800 555 111.
