POLICE in Bodmin are stepping up their activity to tackle drugs and antisocial behaviour in the town, targeting suspected drug dealers and people causing a disturbance.

A police operation took place on Monday (September 9) after communities raised concerns about drug offences and antisocial behaviour (ASB).

Police officers were deployed to a number of locations across the town, in an effort to disrupt crime by identifying and pursuing offenders. The activity led to an arrest of a man following a stop search, where a number of class A and B drugs were located, along with a quantity of cash.

Police Sergeant Lee Holley, said: “Officers were deployed to locations where we know drug offences and ASB occurs. Our aim is to disrupt and deter crime from happening in our streets; we want to show criminals that officers are out on the streets using a number of tactics, including plain clothes operations, to target offenders.

“These operations will continue to run throughout the year, at different times and locations. We want to send a message to our communities that we take these offences seriously and are taking proactive action to stop these crimes from happening on our streets.

“I’d like to encourage the community to continue to report crime and antisocial behaviour either to us or the independent charity Crimestoppers. These reports are vital, helping us identify locations, led by data, where crime takes place and a police presence is needed. By working together, we can make sure that Bodmin remains a safe place to live, work and visit.”

Sergeant Greg Bustin, who leads the Protect & Disrupt team of plain clothes officers, said: “This was a positive operation both for the team and the local community. We know how unsettling plain clothes operations can be for criminals, and our team will continue to run these throughout the year to disrupt crime and make communities safer.”

If you have any information about illegal activity happening in your local area, please report it to Devon & Cornwall Police via their website or by calling 101. In an emergency call 999.