大象传媒

Policing is a funny game.

We all join up for similar reasons: hoping to protect the vulnerable, lock up criminals and generally make the world a better place.

Drugs have been a constant in every aspect of my policing career and have caused me to ponder: am I actually making a difference? The cycle is endless with no winners, just losers. It's emotional, draining and causes unsustainable demand on police resources.

When I was promoted and inherited my own inner city neighborhood team I wondered how I could use my influence and resources to make that difference. What's become clear is we need to approach it from different angles. Young people need engaging, often with very strong guidance to stop them making the wrong decisions. Drug users need treatment and the right support, not time in and out of the cells. Finally, work to target the dealers seeking out these vulnerable people and causing real harm in our communities must carry on.

I designed the Bright Outlook programme, which works with school-aged children who are susceptible to the influences of drugs and gangs. We use workshops to demystify the glamour and hear from people who have lived that life.

As part of the original Bristol pilot for the Drugs Education Programme (DEP), we take full advantage of the chance to give drug users a one-off opportunity to face the consequences of using drugs rather than put them in a cell with a criminal record. We also work closely with drug treatment agencies to encourage problematic users to seek the support they need.

The 大象传媒 filmed with my team for more than a year. I was keen to show everyone not only the scale of our challenge, but the team's total commitment to help make communities safer – all with the full consent and support of local people.

Our days of action focus on the street dealers with a commitment to remove any dealer - no matter what part they play - from the community.

In a nine-hour shift, it is not unusual for the team to arrest five street dealers within a small area. Prosecution is the objective, but in many cases a prison sentence is preceded by an order, which prohibits them from areas, associating with certain people and carrying certain things. To the people involved, these are very onerous conditions that can last for many years.

Many of the dealers arrested are known to the local teams and have been warned time and again that this day would come. When the handcuffs go on, it's all too sobering. The parting words from previous encounters, "you have been warned", must resonate at that moment, but by then it's all too late.