Letting agents urged by police chiefs to report cannabis farms
Police and crime commissioners in the South West are telling landlords and letting agents to help them stop home cannabis cultivation.
Landlords and letting agents in the South West are being recruited as part of a police campaign to stamp out cannabis farms.
Police and crime commissioners (PCCs) from five police services (see picture, right) have launched a joint initiative appealing for help from landlords and agents in the fight against drugs.
Suspected cannabis farms in houses should be reported to the police by landlords and agents, the PCCs have urged.
The effort is part of Operation Scorpion, a drive to eradicate drug use in the police force areas of Wiltshire, Avon and Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, Dorset and Gloucestershire.
In Wiltshire, the operation has also seen nine warrants carried out, 692 cannabis plants seized and 18 arrests.
Identify signs
A joint letter to landlords and letting agencies identifies signs of cannabis cultivation for property owners to watch out for, including:
- tenants asking for complete privacy with no periodic inspections
- blacking out windows
- frequent visitors day and night
- light sources emanating from the property at all hours
Philip Wilkinson, Wiltshire PCC, says: “Criminals target properties for cultivation and we are calling on all landlords, letting agents and housing companies to be wise to the types of activity that could be happening in their properties.
“Communities where drugs are cultivated and dealt are simply fed up with the misery this type of crime brings to their doorsteps.”
Estate and letting agents urged to keep a lookout for cannabis farms
