Drug dealers going crack-ers for Cambridge

An investigation by Cambridge News has found the minimum cost for a ‘bag’ of heroin or a ‘rock’ of crack cocaine in Cambridge to be, at £30, double the London price.

Consequently, the number of teenagers visiting Cambridge from the capital with Class A drugs is on the rise.

One addict stated “There are a lot more dealers coming up from London to make money out of the situation – it’s like the gold rush for them. You get a lot of these young guys coming here dealing in the streets.”

Coming your way

Cambridge Crown Court Judge Gareth Hawkesworth considers the trend to be a “major problem” and has asked for a report from the Crown Prosecution Service on the scale of the issue, which could allow him to impose harsher sentences.

The city is no stranger to drug problems. In 2012, three robbers brutally attacked two men with knives and a meat cleaver in a suspected turf dispute over Cambridge.

Despite the investigation, Cambridge MP Julian Huppert raised Cambridgeshire Police’s achievements in the House of Commons last week, winning praise from Policing Minister Damian Green:

“They have done an excellent job, as is borned out by the fact that crime in Cambridgeshire is down 24% since June 2010, so its streets are safer than ever before.”

Crack-in down on crime

When questioned by The Tab whether, in the wake of the growing drug trade, Dr. Huppert still believed Cambridge’s streets were safer than ever before he added:

“Our police force does a great job often in difficult circumstances. Clearly a 24 per cent reduction in crime in under four years while maintaining front line officer numbers is to be commended.

“They have also made huge advances in tackling drug dealing on the streets of Cambridge and this latest threat from London is being handled in the same manner. Our force’s strength is the link it has formed with our communities and good policing on the ground.”

Do you feel safe in Cambridge? Let us know by commenting below.