20 Dec #Chelmsford: Essex Police use specialist machine to tackle drug use
Police in Chelmsford have used a specialist machine to tackle drug use in the night-time economy.
Officers, accompanied by the dog unit, in the city centre on Saturday night (December 17) used the IONTRACK drugs testing machine to identify people who had been using drugs.
Members of the public had their hands swabbed for drugs as a condition of entry into venues.
The machine gives an instant result, including details of which drug has been detected and how much.
During a 90-minute period, around 80 people were tested – eight of which tested positive for cocaine, while one person was given a cannabis warning notice.
Pc Kerri Trickey said: “We will continue to use this technology to disrupt criminals and stop them from bringing drugs into our cities.
“It is well known that drug taking leads to violent behaviour and when mixed with alcohol these problems get worse.
“We will continue to seek out and deal with those people who bring drugs into our pub and clubs.”
