Senior Constable Deb Hann – On the Beat
Recently we had a superb catch around the importation and supply of class A drugs, following a search warrant execution involving specialist squads.
It was a good example of the benefits that come from an Air BnB owner-operator being alert and aware of suspicious activity. In the past three years, we have had at least three incidents that I know of, where just such action by alert owners has led to great intel gathering and, in some cases, the arrest of those involved in drug supply.
The implications of drug manufacture and processing can be significant when it comes to contamination of dwellings and associated remediation costs. There are a few tell- tale signs for which AirBnB operators should therefore be on the look out.
It is common for the person booking an Air BnB in these scenarios, to present very well on arrival. Once checked in however, it would then be likely that other people and vehicles are seen coming and going to and from the address, often at all hours of the day and night. If a person lives in the local district yet books your AirBnB (for example, lives in Hamilton but books an AirBnB in Cambridge), this may also be a red flag.
Boxes of equipment, chemicals or liquid may be seen being taken inside the property. Equally, packages or boxes may be seen being taken out of the property and loaded into vehicles at random times throughout the booked stay. House windows may be kept wide open for ventilation, even in cold weather. You should also be alert for any chemical odour.
So what should you do if you do suspect illegal activity? If something doesn’t feel right, it often isn’t. CCTV is a good idea to protect the property generally and in such situations can prove vital to showing evidence of illegal activity. If you see such activity, notify the police as early as possible, explaining the reasons for your suspicions, providing relevant information relating to the occupants and their activity. Reporting suspicious drug activity is all part of the community working together to make Cambridge less attractive for offenders.
On another topic, as many of you know, there are several different teams that work out of the Cambridge Police base. We have representatives from Highway Patrol, Strategic Traffic and Commercial Vehicle Safety Team in addition to our Public Safety Team (frontline), Youth Aid and Community prevention (me).
While each having our own areas of expertise and responsibility, we often work together as an overall Cambridge team when it comes to executing search warrants, managing crash scenes and attending urgent jobs. I hope to tell you a little bit more about what these teams do, a typical shift if you like, in future columns.
