Tackling alcohol and drug misuse in Gwent

Police and Crime Commissioner Jane Mudd has made her first official visit to the Gwent Drug and Alcohol Service (GDAS) headquarters in Newport.

Since 2014 the Office of the Police and Crimes Commissioner for Gwent has invested more than £800,000 annually into the service to support the work that it does with those within, or at the point of entry to, the criminal justice system.

GDAS works with the police and key partners to provide a multi-agency response to issues caused by drug and alcohol misuse, sitting within serious and organised crime strategy meetings, rough sleepers task groups, and attending warrants with the police to ensure that vulnerable people have their immediate needs met and are safeguarded from further exploitation.

Police and Crime Commissioner Jane Mudd said: “It was very insightful to meet the GDAS team and understand everything they are doing to try and tackle substance misuse.

“Drugs and alcohol are often the root cause of much of the crime and antisocial behaviour that we see on our streets. This is a deep societal problem without an easy solution, but I was very impressed to get a better understanding of the excellent work that is going on here in Gwent.

“As a newly appointed lead on substance misuse for the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners I intend to use the powers that I have to bring the right partners to the table to do what we can to break the cycle of offending and create a safer society for us all.”