Rutland Council to Launch Anti-Drug Campaign as "Disappointing" Probation Silence Continues

Rutland Council to Launch Anti-Drug Campaign as "Disappointing" Probation Silence Continues

By the Rutland Democracy Reporter

Rutland residents will soon be urged to play a more active role in spotting and reporting illegal drug activity, following a key summit of the county’s safety leaders.

The proposal for a new public communications campaign is one of several major talking points in a report to be presented to Rutland County Council this week by Councillor Christine Wise. The report follows the latest meeting of the Safer Rutland Partnership Strategy Board, which also saw Cllr Diane Ellison in attendance.

A central pillar of the meeting was a multi-agency deep dive into illegal drug use across the county. The discussion was sparked by concerns raised directly by Ward Councillors, who reported growing unease in their local communities.

In response, the Board has moved to launch a dedicated "Comms campaign." The initiative aims to provide residents with clear, actionable details on how to report suspicious behaviour, ensuring that local intelligence is fed directly to the authorities for follow-up.

As the county moves through the winter months, the Board reviewed its "seasonal planning" strategy. While much of the public focus remains on retail crime and shoplifting during the busy shopping periods, the report warns of a spike in more hidden dangers.

Safety leaders highlighted a seasonal increase in four critical areas,

Drink-driving, Targeted enforcement is expected on Rutland's rural roads.
Domestic Fires, Often linked to increased use of heating and festive decorations.
Domestic Abuse, Patterns in Rutland show a concerning rise during the holiday season.
Retail Crime, Enhanced initiatives are already underway to protect local businesses.

The Board also received an update from the Violence Reduction Network (VRN). The network’s work in Rutland is currently focused on early intervention with young people, aiming to steer at-risk individuals away from the criminal justice system before patterns of behavior become entrenched.

Despite the overall productivity of the meeting, the report contains a stinging rebuke for the Probation Service.

For the second meeting in a row, the service failed to provide a requested update, despite having a dedicated slot on the agenda. Cllr Wise noted that the request has been "rolled forward" yet again, but the repeated absence of a report was described as a significant "disappointment" for the Partnership.

The Full Council receive the report during their meeting at Catmose this Thursday.