July 1, 2022
Firstly, I would like to start this post with a heartfelt apology to the legitimate businesses, staff, and shoppers along the row of shops on Manchester Road, Stocksbridge.
The apology is for the noise and disruption we caused on Wednesday the 29th of June when we executed a drugs search warrant at the former Jack Fulton’s premises.
We were very noisy as we had to use specialist teams with petrol Cut-Off Saw’s to cut through metal doors and shutters at the premise in order to gain entry.
However, it was all very worth while as officers found a large-scale Cannabis Factory in a unit on the top floor of the premises.
Inside the location were two rooms, one filled with growing plants and the other with drying plants. From looking at the set up, it would appear it had been there a while and had been planned as a long-term facility.
Now I know there will be those of you out there who will comment on it only being a bit of weed and that it doesn’t hurt anyone, and in some people’s opinion is less impactive than alcohol, and that we shouldn’t be bothering with this type of ‘CRIME’.
However, let me be blunt, the growing of Cannabis is still a CRIME and it IS NOT a victimless crime.
The large-scale production of Cannabis by organised criminal’s has a detrimental impact to the local community.
The production of Cannabis does not only smell horrendous in the location, but it can also have an impact on the business around it as people may avoid attending those shops.
The criminals will often abstract huge amounts of electricity which is not paid for and has an impact on everyone’s electricity bills going up (albeit by no means the only reason why our bills are going up.)
In the case of this factory resulted in the electricity board having to dig up the pavement outside the shop to cut off the electricity to make the location safe.
Finally, the production of Cannabis on this scale often involves vulnerable people within the community being exploited to assist with the growing of the Cannabis and the running and selling of the drug, not to mention the impact the use of the drug can have on its users.
And on that basis, I will not apologise to those Cannabis users out there who do not agree with what we are doing, and we will continue to execute warrants where we believe Cannabis is or has been growing!
If anyone has any information on drugs use and/or production, then please either contact the Police on 101
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