Neighbourhood wardens
Wardens' factsheet: Tackling illegal drugs as part of neigbourhood renewal
This factsheet gives examples and ideas about how Neighbourhood Warden schemes can reduce the harm caused by illegal drugs as part of Neighbourhood Renewal.
Title: Wardens' factsheet: Tackling illegal drugs
Author: Neighbourhood Renewal Unit
Date published: March 2005
Number of pages: 12
Availability: Download full report 
PDF 397KB
Drug use can devastate people's lives and has a damaging effect on communities. They increase crime, poor health, worklessness, disrupt education, and have a disproportionate impact on the country's most deprived communities:
Heroin, crack and cocaine users are responsible for 50% of crimes such as burglary, vehicle crime, shop lifting and theft.
53% of all crime takes place in the 88 most disadvantaged local authority areas
Neighbourhood warden schemes can help by:
1. Engaging with young people on drug issues
Wardens can provide simple information about drug use and encourage those affected to seek help, educate young people on what to do if they find a discarded needle and can raise awareness at youth and community events.
Wardens can help keep young people off the streets at night by providing them with alternatives to drinking and taking drugs. They can do this by working in partnership with youth services to provide leisure opportunities such as football and dance groups.
Youth Action Groups can be set up to educate young people on the issues relating to alcohol, sex and drugs misuse.
2. Engaging with users on the street and directing them to treatment services or harm-reduction facilities
Wardens have the opportunity to reach some of the most vulnerable people (homeless people, those begging, and street sex workers) and encourage them to seek help or direct them to services that provide shelter, food and treatment.
Wardens should be aware of any outreach programmes in their area and encourage users to visit them, or even take them along themselves.
3. Working with local agencies to tackle drug issues
Linking up with agencies and services involved with reducing the harm caused by illegal drugs can help get users into treatment.
4. Reporting drug dealing, drug-related anti-social behaviour or illegal activity to the police
Wardens can act very much as the 'eyes and ears' of the street and should be working closely with the police to report drugs-related activity. This can involve:
identifying open street locations where drug dealing activity is happening
identifying buildings which may be at the centre of drugs-related nuisance through crime or dealing
acting as a local contact point for members of the general public about concerns they have, and channelling intelligence to the police
working with partners to design management solutions to problems in high-profile locations.
5. Deterring drug activity by being visible in drug hot spots
Extra patrols in drug hot spots can help deter drug dealing. Wardens should seek advice from the police and the drug action team before doing this. Again, good partnership working is required between wardens the police and drug action teams.
6. Raising awareness of drug issues in the community
Engaging the community is not straight forward. Residents can sometimes act angrily to good intentions, for example if residents think they are being asked to name dealers. However, leaflets and posters in the right place can provide some people with the information they want.
Wardens can support the activity of local residents or broader anti-drug efforts in their area by attending meetings, offering advice and information and suggesting ideas and activities for young people.
7. Reporting and/or removing drugs-related litter
Wardens can:
identify hotspots for this sort of litter and notify collection authorities
provide information to local residents
encourage users not to act irresponsibly by discarding such litter, and tell them where to find needle exchanges
help plan management strategies for hotspots.
Wardens should:
warn the public not to touch needles
provide details of safe handling techniques to the public
check the expected response time of the local
know the council hotline number and display it in the community centre.
Wardens should not remove drugs-related litter without specific training from the council. If the needle or syringe cannot be collected immediately and wardens want to do something to help, they should follow these guidelines:
find a suitable container e.g. a metal drinks container
wear disposable gloves and use tongs or tweezers
place the object in the container (sharp end first)
wash their hands thoroughly
keep the needle somewhere safe until it is collected.
If a warden is injured by a needle they should contact their doctor or local accident and emergency department for confidential advice. Squeezing the wound for a minute or two will encourage bleeding and help push out any germs.
Last update: Wednesday, September 17, 2008