The 2019 Labour manifesto made it clear a future Labour government will establish a Royal Commission to develop a public health approach to substance misuse, focusing on harm reduction rather than criminalisation. I support this approach in coming to a full conclusion on this challenging issue.
I believe we should be looking at international examples of how they have tackled the issue of drugs. That can include partial and full decriminalisation as we have seen in other countries ensuring we are making best use of scarce police resources
It is important to be evidence led in these decision making processes when considering such complex matters
Of course, one police and crime commissioner alone can’t set laws but if I’m elected this could be part of the solution when it comes to tackling county lines which have a devastating impact on our communities across Kent. I’ll also work closely with Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, to ensure we are having a joined up approach between the Met and Kent Police in tackling this critical issue of county lines.
Many Thanks
Lola Oyewusi