Dee Why sees a spike in the use of ice while other northern beaches drug statistics are revealed

VIDEO: Ice use in a suburb on Sydney’s northern beaches has seen a dramatic spike, with a 60 per cent increase in offenders being charged with using the drug.

ICE use in Dee Why has dramatically spiked with a 60 per cent increase in offenders being charged with using the drug.

Twenty people were charged in the year to June 2017 compared to 12 over the previous year.

And while the rate of crystal meth consumption on the northern beaches is still below the state average, police are concerned the gap has narrowed significantly in the year to June 2017.

Insp Craig Wonders inspects a large hydroponic cannabis set up in Brookvale. Picture: Braden Fastier

Overall, Manly remains the drug and alcohol hotspot of the northern beaches, topping the list in almost every category of possession and/or use of almost every drug.

This is largely because Manly has the highest number of licensed premises on the peninsula and is the suburb most frequently visited by drug-detection dogs.

When it comes to selling drugs, Beacon Hill and Manly top the list for amphetamines, Dee Why for cannabis, Manly for ecstasy and Manly Vale for selling other drugs.

Northern Beaches crime manager Inspector Craig Wonders said that, as with the number of charges for cultivating cannabis, crime statistics often give no indication of the amount of a drug seized.

Manly is the top suburb for ecstasy possession on the northern beaches.

“There might be one statistic for someone caught with a powder like cocaine but it could be anywhere from one gram to 5kg,” he said.

“We’re always seeing fluctuations in the use of different types of drug within the community.

“And the reason suburbs like Manly have such high statistics is because they have a high concentration of venues and facilities, so they are obvious places for police to target with operations like the use of drug-detection dogs.”

The use of cocaine on the northern beaches has remained steady, despite a huge statewide increase.

Cocaine use has remained steady on the northern beaches.

Figures released yesterday by BOCSAR showed the possession and/or use of cocaine in the 24 months to June this year had increased across the state by a massive 34 per cent.

In the year to June 2016, 40 people were charged with possessing cocaine in Manly and in the first six months of this year, 20 people had been charged, putting this year’s arrest rate on a par with last year’s.

If the trends for this calendar year continue, cannabis possession or use on the peninsula will also be in line with previous years, as will the use of ecstasy.

What will surprise many is that when it comes to the sale of drugs over the past six years, Beacon Hill tops the list for amphetamines, Warriewood for cocaine and Manly Vale for heroin.

Over the past six years, there have been three instances of drugs being manufactured at Warriewood.

The figures for drug possession, use, supply, cultivation and manufacture have been gleaned from statistics from BOCSAR from January 2011 to March this year. When it comes to possession and/or use of drugs,

Manly’s figure for the past six years totals more than 900 offences — 525 for possessing cannabis, 83 for amphetamines, 135 for cocaine, 66 for ecstasy, 17 for heroin and 86 for all other drugs.

Amphetamine possession

1. Manly

2. Brookvale

3. Dee Why

4. Manly Vale

5. Narrabeen

Cannabis possession

1. Manly

2. Brookvale

3. Dee Why

4. Mona Vale

5. Collaroy

Over the past six years, there have been three instances of drugs being manufactured at Warriewood, followed by one each for Balgowlah, Collaroy, Killarney Heights and North Curl Curl.

But when it comes to the figures for the cultivation of cannabis, the BOCSAR figures give truth to the term attributed to former British prime minister Benjamin Disreali: “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics”.

A drug-detection dog checks passengers on public transport as part of an operation to improve safety on buses and ferries in the Northern Beaches. Picture: Braden Fastier

Dee Why tops the list for cannabis cultivation offences with 13 busts between January 2011 and March 2017 but they were all just a few plants being grown by locals.

By comparison, there was only one instance of alleged cannabis cultivation over the same period in Brookvale but it was on an industrial scale — an entire factory had been rented by a syndicate and nearly 600 plants were being grown under artificial lighting.

Ecstasy possession

1. Manly

2. Warriewood

3. Collaroy

4. Dee Why

5. Mona Vale

Cocaine possession

1. Manly

2. Mona Vale

3. Newport

4. Warriewood

5. Dee Why

In a simultaneous raid at Cromer, nearly 400 plants were allegedly seized.

And none of those arrested and charged over the giant Brookvale and Cromer crops were locals.

They all lived outside the area and had simply rented the factory.

Between January 2011 and March 2017, 53 people at Dee Why had been charged with possessing ice, including just three in the 12 months to June 2013, according to figures released yesterday by BOCSAR.

Northern Beaches Crime Manager Detective Inspector Craig Wonders. Picture: Braden Fastier

And since June 2011, 76 people have been charged with possessing ice in Manly.

BOCSAR lumps all classes of amphetamine together — dexamphetamine, which is used to treat ADHD, amphetamine sulphate, commonly called speed, and methamphetamine, known as crystal meth or ice.

Manufacturing drugs

1. Warriewood

2. Balgowlah

3. Collaroy

4. Killarney Heights

5. North Curl Curl

Trafficking cannabis

1. Dee Why

2. Narraweena

3. Frenchs Forest

4. Mona Vale

5. Newport

Insp Wonder added: “We continue to run targeted operations and have had some good results in disrupting not just street-level but also mid-level drug suppliers.

“The most important message for the community is that if anyone is aware of activity that is out of the ordinary or is suspicious and they believe it may be related to drugs, we urge them to call the police.”