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Top cop calls time on cannabis use
By Crime Reporter Ben Ashford | icSouthLondon | Dec 14 2005

A POLICE chief branded dope pushers plaguing a town centre "parasites" yesterday and warned them: "Get off my patch or I'm coming for you."

Lambeth's top cop, Chief Superintendent Martin Bridger, signalled the start of his zero-tolerance campaign against cannabis dealers in Brixton with the stark threat.

From today, his officers will arrest anyone caught with even a small amount of the class-C narcotic to purge the streets of "aggressive" pushers who carry only small amounts to avoid legal action.

The borough commander has also set his sights on "drug tourists" who flock to the area - some from Europe where, Mr Bridger said, the town centre is listed on websites as the UK's equivalent to Amsterdam.

Chief Supt Bridger told the South London Press: "The community will not tolerate these parasites any longer."You can get stopped two or three times by dealers as you arrive in Brixton. They block your way, they become aggressive - it's intimidating and frightening."

Mr Bridger - a no-nonsense cop whose tough offensive against gun crime saw his officers seize firearms at a rate of one every three days - went on: "There are websites in other parts of Europe that actually list Brixton as an equivalent to Amsterdam, as somewhere to go to smoke and buy drugs.

"It's time to remove this stigma." The drive - named NO DEAL! - uses Home Office laws to reverse the force's relaxed attitude to small amounts of cannabis following last-year's de-classification to class-C.

Police admit more people will be stopped and searched - ironically in the place where relaxed laws were first piloted - but community leaders and market traders support and helped design the tactic.

They say dealers and drug tourists are damaging trade and wrecking Brixton's reputation.

Mr Bridger added: "There will be displacement into surrounding areas but we will react to that. The community and the police consultative group are right behind us.

"Yes, it's a short, sharp shock. But we are also looking at the long-term solution."

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