Police have been urged to act to tackle ‘flagrant’ drug use along one of the busiest roads in Reading.
Oxford Road stretches for miles with dozens of residential streets feeding into it.
A councillor has recently complained about open drug abuse and dealing in the area.
Eight drug offences were reported to Thames Valley Police (TVP) in February, according to police data.
The police were urged to take action following a presentation by top chiefs at a recent Reading Borough Council meeting.
Councillor Wendy Griffith (Labour, Battle), who represents the area, said: “I get a lot of reports about drug abuse, flagrant drug abuse on the streets, there’s lots of paraphernalia in our parks, on the streets, in the gutters.
“Residents are reporting what they see, so you get regular people [drug abusers] going down residential streets, the police are called, 101 and all that, and they are still there the next day.
“What can we do to reassure our residents that we’re on top of what’s going on with drug abuse in our town, because at the moment it feels like we haven’t got any control on it at all.”
Jason Hogg, TVP chief constable, said: “People who are taking drugs should be treated primarily as a public health issue, not a crime issue.
“Because arresting people repeatedly for possession of drugs is not going to solve the problem.
“If people are seen drug dealing, I’d encourage people to call 999.
“We won’t always be able to respond at the time, but every single call allows us to build a picture about where it is happening, then we can put our resources in place.”
Matthew Barber, the Conservative TVP police and crime commissioner, added: “Clearly there is a wider public health issue, I chair the combating drugs partnership across Berkshire, which is absolutely vital in terms of prevention.
“Of course, it remains criminal to possess and take those drugs, so there is still that route, but obviously, tackling the people who are dealing the drugs is the real issue.
“In Reading in the last 12 months up to February, there was a 19 per cent increase in drug dealing, that is a good thing inasmuch as those offences are only recorded by police officers being there and doing something.
“The reality is, of course, it probably feels like sticking a little finger in a dam.”
He went on to say people are suffering real harm in the drug supply chain, which can involve child abuse and ‘cuckooing’ where dealers use the home of a vulnerable person as a base of operations.
Mr Barber argued that societal tolerance of drug abuse exacerbates the problem.
He said: “Just because you buy your drugs from that nice guy called Nigel who drives a BMW and you don’t see any harm in that, doesn’t mean there isn’t harm in the supply chain.”
Reiterating her point, cllr Griffith said: “People in Battle ward don’t feel like we’re on top of the drug abuse and dealing at all.”
The exchanges took place at the policy committee meeting on April 7.
Mr Barber was re-elected to a four-year term as PCC last year.
