`Dob in a Drug Dealer’ launches on the Central Coast

Crime Stoppers and police launch a new community-led campaign to turn the tables on drug dealers.

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From small scale recreational users supplying a few friends to large scale criminal networks — drug dealers on the Central Coast have been put on notice; the community is watching.

Residents have been urged to “Dob in a Drug Dealer” as part of the second federally funded campaign in the war against illegal drugs.

Crime Stoppers director Rob Forsyth said the first Dob in a Drug Dealer campaign 18 months ago saw a 134 per cent increase in people reporting drug crime.

The last campaign saw a 134 per cent increase in reporting. Picture: file

“Drug dealers don’t care about the health of young people, they don’t care about the other related crimes such as driving offences, domestic violence and poverty which happens at the expense of drugs,” he said.

“What they do care about is just taking that money out of your community. So it’s a community problem rather than a policing problem. The police can act but only with the support of the community.

“So a call to 1800 333 000 allows the police to get the information without knowing who you are.”

Drug dealers ruin lives, so Crime Stoppers want you to turn the tables.

Mr Forsyth said nationally police arrested 22 people a day as a result of calls to Crime Stoppers.

“A call goes to Crime Stoppers approximately every 90 seconds,” he said.

He said in NSW there were about eight calls to Crime Stoppers for every 100,000 people but the rate doubled on the Central Coast.

Tuggerah Lakes Police District Superintendent John Gralton said the Dob in a Drug Dealer campaign was a great way to get the community involved.

Tuggerah Lakes Superintendent John Gralton. (AAP IMAGE / Troy Snook)

“It’s a real scourge on society to have drug dealing going on in a community,” he said.

“It does so much damage to families and it’s so destructive to the home.”

Supt Gralton said Tuggerah police conducted 50 search warrants for drugs last year and were committed to acting on public information, which could be supplied anonymously.

“Dobbing in a drug dealer is going to stop the proliferation of drugs in the community and the ability for people to take them,” Supt Gralton said.