THE district's cannabis farm hotspots have been highlighted by new data - with Bradford East emerging as the constituency where most cannabis production crimes have taken place.
According to the latest available figures, which run to the end of October 2022, the Bradford district was on course for a significant year-on-year reduction in cannabis production offences, which appear to have peaked during lockdown.
A Freedom of Information request submitted by the Telegraph & Argus to West Yorkshire Police revealed that a total of 232 cannabis farms were uncovered in the Bradford district from January to October 2022, with the overall figure for last year likely to have been around the 280 mark at that rate.
This was down from 373 cannabis farms discovered in the Bradford district in 2021 and the 359 found in 2020 - a reduction welcomed by police as a sign of the "great work" being done to tackle the problem.
Further scrutiny of the statistics reveals the parts of the Bradford district where cannabis production is most prevalent. In 2022, a total of 83 such offences took place in Bradford East - some way ahead of Bradford South on 57.
The district's other inner-city constituency - Bradford West - was next with 48 such offences, while the district's outlying constituencies were some distance behind, with Keighley on 27, and Shipley with just eight.
The City ward neighbourhood policing team also discovered five cannabis farms, while the location of four of the discoveries was not recorded.
Analysis of previous years shows that Bradford East continuously had one of the highest numbers of cannabis farms, with 107 found in 2020 and 102 found in 2021.
In 2021, Bradford South accounted for the highest number of cannabis production offences, with a total of 107, but this went down to 57 for the 10 months of 2022 for which figures are available.
Councillor Talat Sajawal of Little Horton, in the Bradford East ward, said: “The decline in the number of cannabis farms in the area is down to the great work of West Yorkshire Police and the work they are doing in the area.
"The police have done some great work in the area and it's important that cannabis farms are tackled.
“The housing in this area is rented accommodation and this type of accommodation is targeted to grow cannabis farms.
“We need to get landlords to conduct thorough checks on the people they are letting their properties to so this doesn’t happen, and we need landlords to get documentation of who is leasing their property and then if they are doing something illegal, we can trace them down.
“If they know they can be tracked down, there’s less chance of them doing it.
“We also urge the public to report any properties which they think could be used for this especially if there is a strong smell of cannabis from an area."
West Yorkshire Police have cracked down on cannabis farms in the Bradford district with Programme Precision, which targets the issue of drug supply and production.
The programme also works to deter and prevent people from being involved in drug crime. Meanwhile, rehabilitation initiatives are in place for those caught up in the cycle of drugs and addiction who want out.
Detective Chief Inspector Andy Farrell, of Bradford’s Precision team, said:
“These figures highlight the great work the district is doing to tackle the issue of cannabis farms.
“My officers at Programme Precision work with partners across the district to tackle the issue of drugs supply and production in Bradford.
“Programme Precision works to catch and convict people involved in this illegal trade but we also work with partners to deter and prevent people from becoming involved in drug crime and have rehabilitation initiatives in place for those caught up in the cycle of drugs and addiction who want a way out.
“I believe these figures also show our commitment to the people of Bradford – to make our communities a safer place by working with neighbourhood policing, specialist investigations, partnership joint working and other resources to identify, target and disrupt those involved in the supply and production of cannabis.”
Anyone with concerns or suspicions about the supply or the production of illegal substances in their area can contact West Yorkshire Police at any time on 101, or by using the options on our website. www.westyorkshire.police.uk/contactus
Information can also be reported anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers
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