Dorset and BCP Combating Drugs Partnership

The Dorset and BCP Combating Drugs Partnership (CDP) was created to tackle the issue of drugs in Dorset with three key aims.

In early September 2022 the Dorset and BCP Combating Drugs Partnership (CDP) was established, in response to the Government’s requirements in the National Harm to Hope 10-year Drugs Strategy. This is to support delivery of the Government’s three main strategic ambitions:

Break Supply Chains
Deliver a world class treatment and recovery system
Achieve a generational shift in the demand for drugs

Together, our local CDP has established the following:

A needs assessment and a delivery plan
Set up four sub-groups:

Who is involved?

The Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) for the Dorset and BCP Combating Drugs Partnership (CDP) is Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner, David Sidwick. The Vice Chair is Director of Public Health, Sam Crowe.

The CDP and sub-group membership is:

BCP and Dorset Councils - both elected members, and senior officers from Adult, Children, Community Safety, Housing, and Commissioning Services
Police – Dorset Police and the SW Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU)
Prisons – locally and regionally
Probation services – locally and regionally
Public Health Dorset – including Dorset and BCP areas
NHS Dorset
Dorset HealthCare
Drug and alcohol treatment providers
People with lived experience
Dorset Combined Youth Justice Service

Structure

CDP structure chart

Lead member bios

David Sidwick, Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner - Senior Responsible Officer

Since taking up office in 2021, the Police and Crime Commissioner has also taken on a national role as the joint lead on alcohol and substance misuse for the national Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC). Tackling drugs and looking at effective prevention measures is a key priority of Dorset's Police and Crime Plan and includes a number of methods including robust enforcement, effective prevention through commissioned services and raising awareness around the harms of recreational drug use. As SRO for the CDP, David said his responsibility is to ensure all the correct partners are involved in the collaboration, in order to have everyone engaged and working together to really drive change.

Sam Crowe, Director of Public Health Dorset and BCP Councils - Treatment and Recovery

Sam retrained in public health in 2002 following a decade long career as a journalist. During his time as a reporter, editor and freelance correspondent for national publications he worked alongside several international health organisations in countries facing huge public health challenges. He covered a wide range of issues from health service reform in Rwanda, to Malaria and TB control in sub-Saharan Africa, HIV care in Uganda, to palliative care provision in South Africa. This fuelled his interest in public health, and after qualifying in 2008 he started work as a consultant in public health for the local public health team based at Bournemouth and Poole Primary Care Trust. Several system reorganisations later he has been Director of Public Health for Dorset and BCP Councils since August 2019, leading a shared public health service for the two unitary Councils.

Emma Sweetzer, Director of Intelligence, Dorset Police - Enforcement

Emma joined Dorset Police in 1997 and the majority of her career has been as a detective. Emma grew up in Dorset and therefore is passionate about the community in which she lives and serves. As a Career Detective, she has been the initial Senior Investigating Officer on a number of murder and complex investigations. Emma has undertaken a large number of roles in policing; from uniform, CID, proactive drug teams, intelligence, Head of Criminal Justice unit, Head of Custody and the Force lead for Violence Against Women and Girls. In July, Emma because the Director of Intelligence and the Force drug lead.

Meetings

CDP meetings are now held quarterly:

2024

Wednesday 7th February
Wednesday 15th May
Wednesday 4th September
Friday 29th November