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Ipswich Police launched a joint-litter picking mission with Ipswich Borough Council in Gippeswyk Park today, leaving some to wonder if this is the best use of resources in the fight against serious crime.
The big picture: The clean-up operation comes during what police recently described as a "campaign of intensified action" against serious crime in Ipswich to demonstrate their "relentless pursuit of offenders and to make Ipswich a hostile place for criminals who choose to involve themselves in the preparation and selling of illicit substances, use of violence, and exploitation of those most vulnerable within in our community."
What happened:
Officers joined an Ipswich Borough Council community safety officer
They searched Gippeswyk Park for drug-related litter
A "few items" were found but it wasn't made clear what those items were
The team also cleared "a load of smashed glass"
Why it matters: While cleansing our public spaces of "drug-related litter" is certainly no bad thing, critics could argue that an under-resourced police force may be able to deploy officers more effectively.
The bottom line: The sight of uniformed police officers picking up litter in a park, rather than directly targeting drug dealers or addressing the social issues that fuel drug use, may raise questions about resource allocation and strategy.
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