POLICE NOTES
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CRIME PATTERNS. At approximately 0300 hours on Saturday, 15th of September, 2001, an alert young resident spotted 2 males walking through the village attempting to enter vehicles. The police were contacted and I, together with PC787 Williams and other officers from Chepstow immediately attended. A vehicle was searched and a stolen CD player was recovered and four people arrested, all of whom came from the Newport area. Two males were charged and will he attending court shortly. One of the two is a prolific thief with a long history of car crime. The young responsible resident (who wishes to remain anonymous) undoubtedly prevented other vehicles being broken into and items stolen. His prompt action also resulted in the arrest of two prolific criminals.WELL DONE!! This incident also highlights the benefits of Neighbourhood Watch schemes. As a result of intelligence interviews with the suspects it became apparent that CAERWENT is being targeted very regularly by criminals who break into cars. Remember, if you see anything suspicious dial the police immediately. CONTINUING THE ARTICLES ON DRUG ABUSE. CANNABIS Cannabis which has been used in the USA for much longer than Britain, is the most commonly used of the illegal drugs. It is usually smoked in the form of resin ('hash'), a brown solid mass which is crumbled and mixed with tobacco. A quarter of an ounce of cannabis resin costs between £10 - £25 and would make about 20 cannabis cigarettes. Not everyone gets much effect from cannabis. The most common effects are relaxation, talkativeness, a sense of well-being and a heightened perception of music and colour. Sometimes there can be temporary anxiety or mild hallucinations. One of the main dangers of cannabis is the state of intoxication itself. The person may not be able to drive, operate machinery safely, or even cross a roads safely. People do not become physically dependent on cannabis but can become psychologically dependenton it for enjoyment or coping with life. Like tobacco, long-term regular and heavy cannabis smoking may cause respiratory diseases such as bronchitis or lung cancer. The belief still exists that smoking cannabis leads to the use of so-called 'hard' drugs like heroin. The theory is that when people no longer achieve a 'high' from cannabis, they try something stronger. However, there is nothing 'in' cannabis itself which predisposes users to try heroin. There is increasing evidence that cannabis smoking greatly increases the chances of cancer. There is also evidence to indicate that regularly using cannabis brings on much earlier mental illness in some people. Virtually, all 'hard' drug users, i.e. heroin, crack cocaine, started with cannabis. Next month we will look at Amphetamine abuse. Best wishes. Ashley Turner. PC 737, Community Police Constable |