Drug seizures hit £4.3 million as Beds PCC Festus Akinbusoye continues delivery of Police and Crime Plan

Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Festus Akinbusoye has welcomed police figures that show illegal drugs worth at least £4.3 million were taken off the streets of the county last year.

New figures from the force show Bedfordshire Police seized almost 23 kilos of cocaine and heroin and 6,500 cannabis plants over the past 12 months.

The amount of cocaine and heroin seized is around five times as much as was seized over the previous year.

Tackling drug related serious organised crime was one of Mr Akinbusoye's key pledges in his blueprint to improve policing in Bedfordshire.

The Commissioner has also ensured Bedfordshire Police meets its ambitious recruitment targets as well as investing in its Professional Standards Department to improve things like internal investigations and vetting.

"I welcome these latest results from the force and would like to reiterate that this is just a fraction of what we can achieve if given funding that reflects our county's demand," Mr Akinbusoye said.

"Bedfordshire faces huge pressure from things like gangs, county lines and organised crime. One-off grants to fund the work of our Boson and Costello teams has helped – and we have delivered fantastic results like these in return.

"I will not let up in my efforts to make our government see that the current police funding formula simply does not work for a county like Bedfordshire and the complex challenges we face, which is why I am so pleased that ministers have announced they will start consulting on this issue this year.

"In the absence of this wider reform, I will be increasing the police precept by 28 pence per week and at a level below inflation.  This will allow Bedfordshire Police to continue to address those clear concerns from our communities, which is to see even more officers on the streets – and even more drugs and dealers out of our communities."

A rise in the council tax police precept last year has also allowed for further investment in the force's Professional Standards Department, which is responsible for vetting police officers and staff, as well as running misconduct investigations.

For the financial year 2023/24, the PCC is proposing to increase the police precept by £15 a year for an average Band D property, equivalent to about 28 pence a week.

This is due to be discussed at the next Police and Crime Panel, which will take place at Bedford Borough Hall on Tuesday (7 February) at 6.30pm