Christmas cheer for Warwickshire charities as police donate £130,000

The cheques will be presented at an awards ceremony in Kenilworth this evening (Thursday 11 December) by Warwickshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Ron Ball and Chief Constable Andy Parker.

A sum of £131,317.00 was secured by the Economic Crime Unit of Warwickshire Police following an enquiry from 2012, which concluded in the sale of a house purchased with drugs money in November 2000 and sold by the police at auction.

The police were able to retain the full sum of money from the auction and put it towards good causes because of the quick thinking and innovative approach taken by the officers. If court proceedings had been followed, only a fraction of the total sum could have been recovered.

The 20 Warwickshire based charities include organisations that support terminally or seriously ill children and their families, that support young children with Down’s syndrome, as well as community projects and scout and girl guide groups.

Ron Ball,police and crime commissioner for Warwickshire said: “This is a truly excellent example of Warwickshire Police working at its best – the hard work and innovative approach taken by the officers has meant that a lot of good can be achieved from what is essentially the proceeds of crime.

“I am delighted to be here this evening and hope that these contributions can help make a significant difference in the lives of local people.”

Andy Parker, chief constable for Warwickshire Police said:

“We are here to protect people from harm and tackling the criminal supply of drugs is an important part of this. We treat the possession and supply of illegal substances very seriously and work hard to ensure that those involved in such offences are apprehended. This ruling sends a strong message that police and the courts will pursue anyone involved with criminal drug activity, see they are punished and where appropriate seize property acquired from illegal activities to help support the local community in a positive way.”

“I am really pleased that as a result of positive police actions local charities will now benefit from the donations.”