Policing Drugs in North Yorkshire

There are two main aims of this project: first, it will describe and analyse the nature and extent of work undertaken in enforcing the Misuse of Drugs Act (1971) (MDA) in NYP. This will represent the first detailed study of its kind. It will draw on the initial analyses already being undertaken by the NYP Strategic Intelligence Team for the Force’s Strategic Assessment. Staff from this unit will work closely with researchers at York and Leeds to drill down into these data and produce detailed analyses of pathways through the CJS for all offences under the MDA: from initial contact through to conviction/disposal. This statistical picture will then be developed by semi-structured interviews undertaken with police officers at all levels of seniority to develop a rich and nuanced understanding of frontline and strategic perceptions concerning the policing of drug offences. The second aim is to draw on this analysis, along with local evaluation evidence and experience from around the country, to explore different models of enforcing the MDA.