We’re continuing to work hard, in partnership with the police, to tackle drug dealing and drug use on our estates and make sure you can feel safe in your home, and within your local community.
We appreciate that some residents may feel nervous about reporting this sort of behaviour in their local area, but without this important information, it’s hard for us to take action against those responsible.
What we are doing to tackle issues
Drug dealing has a negative impact on any local community, so we’re keen to put a stop to it as soon as we can.
We try and stop drug dealing as early as we can by sharing any information we receive with the police – gathering as much evidence as we can in the process, including reports from concerned neighbours.
We can also install CCTV cameras in areas where we believe dealing is taking place to try and prevent it happening – footage can also be used as evidence to share with the police.
If we believe a resident is vulnerable and is at risk of being involved with drug dealing, we can provide them with additional support to try and get them out of the situation and refer them to support services.
Where a council tenant is dealing drugs from their home and will not stop, we can look at ending their tenancy as a result of a breach in the tenancy agreement. However, this could take a long time as we are required to get a court order for the eviction to take place.
To try and alleviate problems and speed up the process, we may also apply for a closure order.
Closure orders are given by the courts. They can stop people from entering a home where there has been reports of noise nuisance and criminal behaviour that is affecting the local community. We can either request an order that will only allow the tenant and their workers to enter the home, or request that nobody can enter the flat, including the tenant. Each request is considered on a case-by-case basis to see which outcome would be most suitable.
Anyone who enters a property against the terms of a closure order can be arrested.
Recent enforcement
Enforcement officers from Chesterfield Borough Council, working in partnership with Chesterfield Police, have secured a three-month partial closure order against a property on Green Farm Close, Chesterfield.
The partial closure order, which was issued on September 21 by Mansfield Magistrates Court, follows reports to the council and police from the local community about drug-related anti-social behaviour at all hours, drug dealing, and noise nuisance which have been causing distress to those in the locality.
The partial closure order was granted under Section 80 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Disorder Act 2014, and prohibits anyone other than the tenant and other agreed people including professional from remaining on or entering the address on Green Farm Close.
An enforcement officer from Chesterfield Borough Council said: “We believe the persistent anti-social behaviour from the resident and visitors of this address has had a detrimental effect on the lives of some of those living around them.
There will be further work going forward in conjunction with partner agencies to prevent and protect against similar issues in the area which we believe will dramatically improve the quality of life for people living in Chesterfield. The neighbourhood team will also continue preventative work and regular ASB patrols.
The council and police have urged anyone who believe that a property is subject to drug dealing or anti-social behaviour to always pass the information on to them and not to confront or approach suspected drug dealers.
Report an issue
If you suspect drug dealing is taking place in your neighbourhood, we need you to let us know.
You may be able to smell drugs in the area, or you may notice unusual activity at a home – such as doors being propped open or people staying there who aren’t a tenant.
If you are experiencing these kind of problems you can report it to our community safety team. If you are a council tenant, you can also contact the housing management team by emailing housingmanagement@chesterfield.gov.uk.
Depending on the circumstances, we may ask that you report the issues to the police.
Please be assured that we will not tell anyone that you have reported an issue. We will not use the information you have provided without your permission and we will always keep you informed with the progress of your complaint.