Landlords Invited To Drugs Awareness Workshops

A series of workshops is to begin next week at Belfast City Hall to advise landlords on keeping illegal drugs out of rental properties.

Councillor Deirdre Hargey, chair of South Belfast District Policing and Community Safety Partnership (DPCSP), said: "We are currently running an outdoor advertising campaign 'Drug Dealers don’t care. Do you?' which encourages members of the local community to report any suspicious activity that they may see in relation to drugs or drug dealing."

PSNI Chief Inspector Gabriel Moran said: "We are very aware of the concerns that exist in local communities in relation to drug supply and distribution. In addition to proactive operations such as Operation Torus which is currently running across South and East Belfast we are undertaking engagement with key stakeholders to increase awareness of the problem."

Welcoming the initiative, Declan Boyle, Chair of the Landlords Association, said: "Where people are engaged in cultivating drugs or manufacturing drugs, their sole objective is to produce something which generates money. There is a total disregard for the impact that it may have on the wider community or any risks that may be associated with what they are doing.

"For example; where properties are being used to grow cannabis plants, often the electricity supply has been tampered with and this presents a risk to adjacent properties. We would encourage fellow landlords and property owners to make regular checks of their property to ensure they are not being used by criminal elements."

The first workshop will take place on 14 March at Belfast City Hall.

(IT)