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Anti-Social Behaviour
 Campaigns
Dealing drugs from your rented home? You should be paranoid. Why? Sandwell Homes is committed to keeping the borough's homes and estates free from drugs, and particularly to preventing any growing or dealing of drugs from any of the properties under its management. The bottom line is: ‘If caught dealing or growing drugs from your rented home we will take legal action and you are likely to be evicted.’ On top of this, if you are evicted from your property, we are extremely unlikely to offer you accommodation in the future. We will also tell local landlords that we have evicted you for anti-social behaviour, which means you may not be able to rent any other properties in the region. The bottom line is that drug dealing is illegal and it breaks the terms of our tenancy conditions so we take a hard line against it. We work closely with the Police, CrimeStoppers, and Sandwell Council to track down drug dealers, which means sooner or later you will get caught. Think long and hard about the implications. Is it worth the risk of being homeless? Over the past 18 months we have successfully evicted a number of tenants caught dealing or growing drugs from their council properties. The following most recent cases highlight why it just isn't worth taking the risk:
An Oldbury man was recently ordered permanently out of his council home after allowing it to be used as a drugs den
Sandwell Council's anti-social behaviour team, supported by Sandwell Homes and Police, secured an immediate possession order against the man, aged 43, at Birmingham County Court. He had to leave the three-bedroom home in Walton Road or face eviction by bailiffs. Neighbours' lives were affected by constant nuisance of visitors to the property throughout the day and night. Residents saw visitors turning up and exchanging money and packages with people at the property. Police raided the house twice finding heroin and paraphernalia for Class A drug use, namely burnt foil and burnt teaspoons. Working together, the Police, Sandwell Council and Sandwell Homes obtained a 'crack house' closure court order on the property in June of last year. The closure order saw the house locked and boarded up for three months. The man was arrested and fined for heroin possession when he appeared in court.
A second man lost his council flat after being convicted of growing cannabis in a bedroom there.
Sandwell Council's anti-social behaviour team, supported by Sandwell Homes and Police, took the 38-year-old to Dudley County Court to gain possession of the flat in Wallace House, Badsey Road. The court granted the council possession and also ordered the man to pay £1,203.60 in court costs. If you are concerned that drug-dealing may be taking place on your estate and you want to report it anonymously, in complete confidence, then please call CRIMESTOPPERS on 0800 555 111. Alternatively, you can call a dedicated anti-social behaviour hot line on 0845 359 7500. The opening hours are: Monday to Friday 8:00am - 8:00pm, Saturdays 8:30am - 1:30pm. To contact your local neighbourhood Police team directly call 0845 113 5000. The DECCA (Drug Education, Counselling and Confidential Advice) Team is the Tier 1 – 3-drug service for young people in Sandwell. |
  Telephone: 0121 569 6000 |
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