THE demand for drugs is driving up crime, says a North-East police chief.
Cleveland Police are having to deal with about 650 crimes every day.
The figures are revealedin the annual report of the Cleveland Police Chief Constable, Barry Shaw.
Highlighting in his report the need for a strong police force, he said: "Much of the increase is driven by the growth in heroin addiction and the increasing use of cocaine, which blights our communities and fuels crime and anti social behaviour.
"My officers dealt with a total of 237,000 incidents during the year - an increase of four per cent. This amounts to approximately 650 incidents per day."
The workload is despite putting 45 more police officers on the street during the year, he said.
Cleveland Police were praised by their chief for their effort and commitment.
To save money, only a limited number of copies of the report have been produced.
However, the full report, and details of anti-crime initiatives being undertaken, can be viewed at the Cleveland Police website, at www.cleveland.police.uk
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