Episode 3 Neighbourhood Blues

With unprecedented access, Neighbourhood Blues follows

the police in Somerset as they take on the crimes that annoy us all.

-Don't manhandle me!

-Come over here.

Targeting antisocial behaviour, drug abuse and criminal damage,

beat officers and PCSOs tackle the problems that,

if left unchecked, could blight the lives of millions.

Armed with the latest cutting-edge kit,

they have the power to strike hard when needed.

Police, stay where you are!

But just like the days of Dixon Of Dock Green...

Good evening, all.

..it's all about partnering with local people...

Brilliant.

..working together to sweep crime off our streets.

Police! Search warrant!

SIRENS

Coming up, the neighbourhood team catch a suspect

unawares on a drug raid.

Get down!

No way, man, what's going on?

It is just cos you are a little bit excited with me.

We have got a warrant

-to search the residence.

-Search my property, mate?!

Adge investigates a desecrated graveyard.

So they're using a gravestone to attach his tent.

And they are using this place, by the looks of it,

as a sewer, for God's sake.

And text messages lead officers to a man's front door.

-Everything you ever sent is on there.

-Yeah.

-All right?

So we know exactly what you have been doing.

That doesn't mean it's true, though.

Neighbourhood police work tirelessly to keep drugs off our streets.

Backing them up are specialist units

who gather intelligence and keep suspects under surveillance.

It's early morning in Weston-super-Mare. An undercover

officer is giving a briefing, planning a raid on a property.

OK, today we are going to execute a Section 23, Misuse of Drugs Act

warrant. When we are in the address, be aware of needles

and obviously paraphernalia.

The police have recently arrested a man with his pockets packed

full of drugs.

The recent intelligence - a guy who was arrested two days ago

was in possession of 44 wraps of heroin and crack cocaine.

He came from that address. So hence we got the warrant today to execute.

The arrested man has told the police that there's drugs

and money in the flat. This may not be true,

but the police have to check out the claims.

We got the undercover officers out there,

sort of keeping an eyeball on the property.

What they have told us is basically the curtains are drawn

and that it is a good time to strike,

so I think they're effectively saying to us,

as soon as we get to our drop-off location, we are on our tail,

straight to the door and effect entry.

The curtains at the flat are still drawn,

making it easier for the police to make a surprise entrance.

-Police!

-Go, go, go!

-Stay where you are!

-Go, go!

Stay where you are!

Proceed. With dog, with dog.

I just want to hold him down.

-That's fine.

-Search my house, mate?

You're all right. I'm not going nowhere.

-We are going to cuff you up.

-What do you mean? I'm all right.

-Can you just

-BLEEP?

-No way, man, what's going on?

-It's just cos you are a little bit

excited with me. We have got a warrant

-to search the residence.

-Search my property, mate.

-Just chill out, calm down.

-Listen, I'm all right. No worries.

-You keeping on my missus.

-Yeah, she'll be fine.

We ain't going to do anything to her, are we?

There is drug use here. I am a heroin addict.

-I have used. There will be needles and

-BLEEP.

-I appreciate that.

-But apart from that, there is nothing here.

I tell you what...

The man arrested two days ago claimed there was a big dealer in the flat.

But as the man looks completely confused, it may have been a lie.

As well as the heroin addict, there is

another man and a woman in the property.

..a while back.

We have taken control of the situation.

Forced entry. All persons on the premise,

they have been detained under the warrant.

We are now going to divide up into teams.

We're going to go room by room, methodically.

And then from there, we'll see what offences we've got,

deal with it appropriately.

If you want to start that way and work that way,

and I'll work this way.

And we'll meet in the middle.

The bedroom already looks like it has been turned

over before the officers start their search.

With the search underway,

the heroin addict's girlfriend wants a word with one of the team.

What is going to happen here?

Because I have got personal use weed in there.

Will I be arrested for that?

Well, I don't know what your previous is.

I've got previous for weed.

Right then, possibly you would.

-We will deal with you as best we can, all right?

-Yeah.

Is there anything around here we need to be aware of,

except this cannabis?

No. There might be a fag with pens and that in it.

But I will say to you, I do not use anything but weed.

That is all I use.

There's already a little bit of cannabis on the table,

which obviously is going to be seized.

And I believe that the person who is claiming that that is theirs

has already been arrested previously for it,

so she'll have to come in and be interviewed.

Going to have to be.

She has already been arrested

for possession of cannabis.

As the woman has admitted to previous cannabis offences,

officers will have to arrest her.

In the bedroom, the team have made another discovery.

A horrific arsenal of weapons hidden under the bed.

And the knife is covered in a brown substance.

Do you think that looks like heroin on there?

Oh, it is, definitely.

It does look like it, doesn't it?

Oh, yeah, I would say.

There is a brownish sort of substance on the end of the knife.

It looks like it could be heroin.

As one of the residents has already admitted injecting heroin,

the knife and needles are seized for testing.

Weston. Hate it.

His girlfriend is worried about her partner's habit.

-I keep saying to him,

-BLEEP,

-each time we relapse...

You've got to realise, it feels like I am being kicked in the teeth.

Because I did all that hard work with you.

And now that you've done that, all that hard work he's just

basically kicked me in the teeth with it, eh?

You know what I mean? And he's like, "Well, I know, babe,"

but it needs to be sorted.

Meanwhile, in the bedroom,

Carla Collins finds some suspicious looking powder.

What is this? That.

-Where was that?

-Just in there.

It looks like, um...

benzocaine. Doesn't it?

Where was that, in there?

-Yeah, right here.

-Look at that. Looks like benzocaine.

-Do you reckon?

-What is benzocaine?

-It's a cutting agent for cocaine.

-Oh, yeah.

Benzocaine is a legal anaesthetic.

If the man arrested outside with the 44 wraps

is telling the truth, then it

could be used to cut drugs,

as it simulates the numbing effect of cocaine.

But if he isn't,

then the residents may just be using it to treat mouth ulcers.

Despite the evidence of heroin use at the flat,

the only drugs they find is a bit of cannabis.

No-one is getting nicked?

I think my colleague has already explained what

he is going to do with you.

The lady is arrested and street bailed,

meaning she will be called back to the station at a later date.

-All right, guys, have a good day.

-Thank you for being brilliant.

That's ideal.

-You're welcome.

-Normally... They're horrible normally.

But all you lot have been brilliant.

Although the team didn't find any evidence of drug dealing,

Sergeant Jason Hulbert is confident the raid has sent a strong

message to the neighbourhood.

You always want to take drugs off the street.

Without doubt, it's a major cause of crime.

The more drugs we can take off the street,

it's got to be a better thing for the whole community.

They have seen the police here.

We are intelligence-led, so hopefully the message gets

out there that if people do give information,

then it comes back and it gets acted on.

And hopefully, the community see the benefits of it.

It seems the man arrested with 44 wraps of heroin

and cocaine was just trying to blame the innocent residents.

It didn't work.

At court, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply.

The woman received a caution for the possession of cannabis.

In Bath, community officer

Adge Secker is investigating a shocking complaint.

I have had a local member of the public contact me

and say that in one of these cemeteries -

it may be this one or may be the one next to it, I don't know -

where people are coming here, injecting drugs.

There is evidence of needles found, apparently,

according to this person.

Also, groups of people drinking lots of alcohol and getting drunk

and just desecrating these graves.

And I'm not going to have it.

Cemeteries are meant to be places of quiet contemplation,

where people hold lasting memories of their loved ones.

If the claims are true, it's all the more shocking,

as the graveyard is the final resting place

for hundreds of soldiers killed in two world wars.

Hidden at the far end is something distinctly odd.

So right up there... You see the trees? I can see a couple of tents.

I'll just call for an officer to come and meet me.

Just in case there's a few of them there.

Adge keeps his distance and waits for backup to arrive.

It's getting dark and he wants to get closer before anyone can

sneak away in the unlit cemetery.

Adge still can't believe what these people are doing.

It is in a cemetery for...sake, John.

I know, I know. I don't know. I don't know.

Hello in the camp?

Hello.

Hello in the camp?

-They're all rolled up.

-Anybody in there, John?

-I can't see any from here.

-No, it's all rolled up.

-They've obviously been here.

-Huh.

The ground is littered with super-strength cans of lager

and hypodermic needle packs.

Adge suspects the camp is being squatted by some

of the town's street drinkers.

Just mind where you put your feet, Jay, because...

there's no toilet handy, is there?

It looks like the reports of drinking

and drug-taking amongst the gravestones are correct.

But now they know that people are living here,

the situation is more complicated.

-Get in touch with the council...

-Right.

-..to see if they can...

Because obviously we can't take it down.

No, we don't evict people, do we?

See if they will come and clear it all up.

The police can't simply tear the tents and tarpaulins down.

Regardless of this disrespectful behaviour, they have to act

within the law, and that means applying for an eviction notice.

-But you see he's using gravestone...

-Gravestone.

-..as...

-What, to attach his... Oh, that's...

-Yeah.

-He's putting that over the top and then using...

-Yeah, OK.

Well, we'll put pressure on the council then to get rid, then.

All right, OK, guys.

Eviction can be a lengthy process,

but this disgusting conduct needs to be tackled quickly.

John's just found there, in orange bag,

what we think is human excrement.

And they're going to wonder why we want them off from here.

So they're using a gravestone to attach his tent,

or his tarpaulin to create his tent.

And they're using this place, by the looks of it, as a sewer,

for God's sake.

All right, boys, thanks for coming out. Appreciate it.

Later, Adge works tirelessly to get the place cleaned up

and back to its respectful state.

-I haven't seen them. Not today, anyway.

-Right. Where is he now?

Where is he?

Neighbourhood teams are on the front line

when it comes to keeping a lid on drug abuse.

Drug crimes aren't just restricted to run-down areas.

Sometimes they happen in the most surprising parts of town.

In Weston-super-Mare, Russ Millier and Glenn Wheeler

are on their way to one of the town's leafier suburbs

to investigate a possible cannabis cultivation, known as a grow.

We are heading out to an address on our patch to look at some arrests -

a male and possibly a female -

in connection with concern in supply of a controlled drug.

This area isn't necessarily where you'd expect to find a drugs farm,

but a trail of phone messages from someone

they've already arrested has led them straight to this house.

OK.

So we've got both vehicles there.

Now is a good time.

Both occupants are in there.

Once inside, Glen gets straight down to business.

OK, so at this time,

I am arresting you both

in concern in the supply of a controlled drug.

You don't have to say anything, but it may harm your defence

if you do not mention something that you later rely on in court.

Anything you do say may be given in evidence.

-OK?

-OK.

-Is there any drugs on the premises?

-No.

Actually, there is maybe a little bit of cannabis in the garage.

-In the garage.

-Yeah.

-What are we talking a little bit?

-A spliff.

-A spliff in the garage?

-Yeah.

-Right, OK.

Yeah, we got an answer, mate. Two in cuffs here.

The text messages suggest that there is more than just a little

bit of cannabis in the house.

Russ is looking for evidence that drugs are being grown here.

And that is hard to hide.

A quick search and it's obvious there's no grow inside.

But what about outside?

PCSO Justin Robbie joins Russ to help him search the garage,

where the man has admitted there might be "some" cannabis.

Obviously, there's a bit of weed in there, like you said, in the house.

About a spliff's worth.

Obviously, we will be seizing that, all right? As evidence.

Although the garage is incredibly dark,

the cannabis isn't all that Russ notices.

He thinks that this was the centre of the drugs growing operation.

It looks to me, mate, you have shut down the grow.

-There was a grow in here, wasn't there?

-No.

Well, I have seen enough grows in my time to see that this is a grow.

You have still got the pots down there.

You've got the black tape all around the top there.

Haven't you?

-Fair enough. Yeah.

-Yeah?

-Yeah, yeah.

The man has admitted that there was a grow here.

You've obviously been given the heads-up, haven't you?

Russ is suspicious that he's been tipped off.

No, no, no. This was a long time ago, I can assure you.

The garage is lined with plasterboard, sealed with black tape.

And on the floor,

a bin liner is filled with dismantled hydroponic equipment.

Um, this is quite a nice example of what we come across,

a bit of a home-grown

cannabis set-up, really.

They have double-skinned the plasterboard walls

with insulation in between it.

And as you see from the corners, they have taped all the gaps.

And what that does is it's their attempt to prevent us

from using our heat source cameras.

As far as domestic cultivation of cannabis goes,

this was quite a sophisticated set-up.

It also helps them keep the smell in one place.

Usually... There you go, down there.

That is where they would vent it.

You have a sort of four-inch flexi-pipe going out there

and it would vent the smell.

Yeah. They would have had a considerable set-up in here.

-So, where's all this come from?

-What?

-All this information.

It has come from phones. From your phone, basically.

Your phone has been sending text messages to and fro another

person's phone that we have arrested, OK, over a period of time.

And your phone has cropped up numerous amounts of times

in connection with the concern in supply of controlled drugs,

namely cannabis.

-OK? So, everything is on there.

-Yeah.

-Everything you ever send is on there.

-Yeah.

-All right?

We know exactly what you've been doing.

-That doesn't mean it's true though, that's the thing.

-Well...

-It is, isn't it?

-Well, yeah, but that is circumstantial.

-It's not... Yeah.

-So you know that is why we are here, OK?

-Yeah, fine.

It's hard to convincingly say something is a rumour

when you are standing next to evidence that at least

some of the text message information was true.

He's clearly had a cannabis grow in the garage, all right?

Which he knows about.

Um...

It's one of those things, isn't it?

If you're going to do that sort of thing, it is going to

-catch up with you.

-Yeah.

-All right?

Russ leaves with the remainder of the hydroponic equipment.

It will be destroyed back at the station.

He has had a cannabis grow there before. We've seen that.

He understands that we won't tolerate it

and we will be knocking at his door.

They've been arrested. They're on street bail.

We'll examine the phones and what have you

and see what else we have got to come from that.

The evidence of the grow set-up, the incriminating text messages

and the drugs found on the property meant that the man

and his wife were both arrested, and the man was charged with

possession of cannabis and offering to supply cannabis.

At court, he pleaded guilty to dealing and received a 12-month

community order, 120 hours of unpaid work

and £325 in fines.

No further action was taken against his wife.

Back in Bath, Adge is investigating a truly disrespectful crime.

People have been squatting in a graveyard, drinking,

taking drugs and using it as a toilet.

They've even used parts of the gravestones to help build a fire.

Adge is determined to put a stop to this.

We've done a few enquiries, we've identified two names of people

that are camping out just across the way over there.

Now he knows who it is, Adge hatches a plan to get word to them

that they need to get out.

We're going to use new legislation that's been enforced

not that long, it's called a Community Protection Notice.

The warning stage is the initial stage where you must stop

sleeping, camping in the grounds of the cemetery, lighting fire,

drinking alcohol and injecting yourselves or others

with substances and what have you.

As well as Adge's Community Protection Notice,

the council have posted an eviction order.

That could take months but tackling the problem from multiple angles

is more likely to get a result.

I think people are still here.

Um, the fire looks fairly fresh, that's new bits of wood.

Um, there's a new...

There's more empty beer cans here, so...

Yeah, they're still here.

They're known to my colleagues in the city centre team

and they're known as regular beggars on the streets of Bath.

And on a beautiful, sunny day like this,

I suspect that's exactly where they are.

So, Adge takes to the streets to hunt them down.

With him is PCSO Julie Durbin.

This is her daily patch.

-Is that him?

-No.

-Sure?

-Yes.

-Hello, hello, hello.

-Adge is a well-known face about town.

-Hello.

-All right?

-Yeah, not bad.

-How's your luck?

-Ugh.

HE LAUGHS

Even if Adge can't serve the notice, just getting the word out

on the street may be enough to force the squatters to leave the graveyard.

-Do you know where Ben is?

-I haven't seen him. Not today, anyway.

Bath has a small homeless population

and they all tend to know each other.

Adge knows that everything he's said will make its way back

to the graveyard squatters.

-Hello.

-Hello, mate.

There's no sign of either the man or his girlfriend in town.

But the word is out on the street and that might be enough.

Later, Adge returns to the cemetery

and it looks like his plan has worked.

The camp and all the mess surrounding it has finally gone.

At last, the graves are back to their respectful state.

The combined force of the council

and the neighbourhood police has been effective.

I'm not all about, you know, arresting people

and chucking them in prison, all that kind of stuff.

We want to achieve what's best for the community

and what's best for this situation here.

And that is them not camping here,

so therefore people can now come back to this graveyard

and sit in quiet contemplation,

which is what these places are all about.

It's not a camping site.

So that legislation really worked and our pressure on them

really worked as well and we've achieved what we want to achieve.

On to the next one.

It's early evening on the Bournville Estate in Weston-super-Mare.

Gemma Harper and Alice Durston have received information

about some suspicious activity.

Yes, she ran a report of two young lads walking around with

a telly under their arm, quite a big flatscreen TV.

Um, so it's probably worth us stopping

and speaking to them and finding out where they got it from.

Yeah, control. Is there another unit

that can come down on to Bournville, please?

It's not illegal to take a TV out for a walk but it is unusual.

-And the officers know one of their suspects all too well.

-Adam!

It seems he's not so keen on a catch-up.

Before the officers turn a corner, the men have scarpered.

There's a chap who walked down there with a telly.

The back alleyways of the Bournville are a maze and the two suspects

have gone off in different directions.

Gemma and Alice do the same

but they've got the advantage of being in radio contact.

Yeah, Gem. I'll come back towards you there, mate.

They know this patch well and all its usual hiding places.

Gemma has caught up with one of them.

The male that was holding the TV. However...

He doesn't have the TV with him now.

-All right?

-Yeah.

I shouted at you, you didn't stop. Didn't want to chat?

Just trying to help someone out, that was all. I ain't doing nothing.

Who were you with?

Well, just with a few mates.

I weren't doing nothing, just helping people out.

I know, but you walking around the estate with a telly

under your arm looks a bit suspicious, doesn't it?

I was only walking from one end of the park to the other.

There weren't no drama.

The man's not denying he had a TV

but that's about all he'll say on the matter.

I don't want nothing to do with it

because I don't want to get in trouble.

-Where's the telly now?

-Gone back with its rightful owner.

If that telly is stolen...

Obviously, we don't have it to check that,

but if it is stolen and you were found in possession of it,

you could have been arrested for that offence, all right? So...

You can't handle other people's things,

whether you're doing a favour for them or not, you can't do it.

Because you're going to get yourself in trouble. All right, fair enough?

-All right, yeah.

-All right, see you later.

-See you later.

This is a case lacking a crime.

The TV needs to be reported stolen before anything can be done.

The next morning, an elderly man living in a sheltered housing block

reports a theft.

Police send forensics around straightaway

to see if they can get prints.

Forensics report a positive match for a fingerprint

and it isn't the man they stopped yesterday.

But it is someone known to the police.

The gentleman around there said he'd seen him

running round these backstreets there.

With the suspect's description circulated,

all eyes are searching for him.

CCTV operators spot someone they think matches his description

and Sergeant Colin Batchelor is on his way to check him out.

We've got CCTV monitoring,

we've got plainclothes units trying to keep an eye on him.

So basically, we'll see if we can go and grab him and lock him up for it.

As they approach the back of the high street, all eyes are on the suspect.

This man is going nowhere.

All right, fella? Come with me, you're under arrest, OK?

-What for?

-Put your hands behind your back.

-You're under arrest for suspicion of burglary.

-Suspicion of burglary?

-Who do you think I am?

-Yeah. You're Rob, innit?

-No, I'm not, I'm Ben.

-I'm Ben.

-Hey?

-Check.

-Wait, wait, wait.

-Look, check with Tony on the radio. Ask if Ben

-BLEEP.

Colin checks the police database and this guy is telling the truth.

He's not their man.

It's a case of mistaken identity.

Hardly surprising as this is the suspect's brother.

Someone's picked you up... Let me just explain.

Someone's picked you up, thought you for your brother.

I need to talk to him about an incident he knows about.

And obviously, they thought it was you, all right?

I've never met you before and I've never met your brother before,

all right? So obviously... Yeah, I think they're happy it's Ben.

-So, my apologies, all right? I'm big enough to say I'm sorry.

-No worries.

-All right?

-I was saying, "Whoa, I ain't done nothing wrong!"

-All right, thanks anyway.

-At least not with burglaries.

-All right, OK.

While that wasn't the right man, the info is he's around here somewhere.

We're trying to get some information, quick time,

to find out where he is.

'Update, on the subject of Ben.

'Run off down towards the Boulevard direction,

'off the side of Palmer Street.'

He's just run off round the back of here somewhere.

The problem is he'll go to ground now and we'll lose him.

'We're currently on the Boulevard.'

After an extensive search,

Colin has to accept that the man has probably gone to ground.

So, he collects Kellie Millier and heads round to see the victim.

Can we see him?

-What's gone on, then? Obviously, your TV has been stolen.

-Yeah.

-Yeah?

-And you went out at 6.30?

-Yeah, and I came back at 8.30.

There was two people seen, I think, around seven o'clock on the night.

-So you went out about 6.30?

-Six, yeah.

-And one of them was carrying a TV.

-Yeah.

-So when you went out, did you lock up?

-No.

-No? You didn't lock up?

I never lock up.

The man has left his flat door unlocked for weeks on end

since losing his key, hoping that the lock in the communal door

to his sheltered housing would provide enough security.

So they've obviously come in through your front door.

They've just walked in, haven't they? Cos it's not locked.

I thought...

-What am I doing?

-It's obviously made it easy for that person.

But how can they get in?

In the evening, all it takes is someone else

to let someone in by mistake or...

Unfortunately for the man,

opportunist thieves were quick to take advantage.

Kellie will make sure it can't happen again.

-We'll sort out a key for you.

-Will you?

And if we can't get a key,

we'll get your locks changed for you, all right?

-Thank God you're working here.

-Well, someone's got to, haven't they?

Yeah, this is it.

Kellie wants to make sure the man's flat is secured as soon as possible.

So, next morning, she's back with a locksmith from the man's

housing provider who changes the locks, free of charge.

That's obviously just taken a couple of minutes to change the locks

but it'll can make a massive difference to the victim's safety

and his life going forward.

The man's home is secure and Colin received some good news.

It turns out the suspect was on bail for another offence.

So, when he had an appointment at the police station,

he was promptly arrested.

He's denied the offence.

However, due to the weight of evidence against him,

we have charged him with burglary.

So, he's been remanded, he'll stay in the cells overnight.

And as I say, the magistrates will decide his future from there.

So, it's a real result.

So I just need to let the victim know,

which I'm sure he'll be really pleased.

The burglar was later sentenced to 14 months in prison.

As we've seen today,

the neighbourhood police work hard getting drugs off our streets

and tackling antisocial behaviour,

making our communities safer places to live.

See you again next time.