Clubbers hold hands up as drugs detected by $64,000 Machine

[renegades]

Published Date: 26 March 2007
Source: Peterborough ET
Location: Peterborough
Clubbers hold hands up as drugs detected
Police officers conduct random tests on revellers outside Yates bar, in Broadway, in the latest crackdown.
By Kirsty Nicolson
DOZENS of clubbers were caught with traces of drugs on their hands during a hi-tech swoop in the city on Friday night.
A total of 240 revellers were tested during a police blitz of major city bars and clubs during one night (March 24) – of which 36 were found with traces of illegal substances, such as cocaine, ecstasy or amphetamines on them.
The clubbers were then searched, but only two were arrested for possession of drugs, while many admitted to taking the drugs earlier in the evening.
Armed with a £32,000 machine called the Ion Track Itemiser, police swabbed the hands of pub and club-goers to see if they could detect any street drugs.
Officers also swept the cardboard swab over toilet cisterns and seats – popular places for cutting and snorting lines of cocaine – and found nine positive samples.
Six arrests were made in connection with drug or public order offences.
One person was arrested for possessing cannabis, and another for methadone – a drug commonly used by people weaning themselves off heroin.
Pc Tony Milsom led the initiative, codenamed Operation Barham, on Friday night.
He was joined by local officers and staff from Lincolnshire Drug and Alcohol Action team, who are experienced in using the machine.
Pc Milsom said: "This is the first time we have done this, and it went really well.
"We will definitely be looking to do it again.
"We had an excellence response from the pubs and clubs, and the majority of the public were pleased with what we were doing.
"We will not tolerate drugs being used in our city."
Police swooped on establishments including The Solstice bar in Northminster Road, the Cross Keys in Oundle Road and Liquid nightclub, in New Road.
Staff at Liquid allowed officers to stand near the doors and test people as they entered the club.
John Gallacher, from The Cross Keys, welcomed the move.
He said: "We have a zero tolerance approach towards drugs here.
"It worked really well and the customers were very happy with it."
Mr Gallacher said he puts Vaseline on the toilet cisterns every weekend to deter people from snorting cocaine in the loos.
Deputy premises supervisor at the Solstice Kevin Jeffery said: "We welcome anything that helps to prevent the use of drugs here, and we are happy to support the police in what they are doing."

>>>Just can't believe it, they roll in a $64,000 drug testing machine and swip every ones hands with a cotton swab in the bar. It is like your guilty until you prove your innocent. It shows you most of us are innocent with out of 240 people only 36 or 15% of the patrons tested positive. Boy swim wishes he was there. He would have left the police a big old smelly brown thing floating in the toilet bowl where they intended to run their cotton swab across the seat.This is the first time we have done this, and it went really well.
"We will definitely be looking to do it again.
"We had an excellence response from the pubs and clubs, and the majority of the public were pleased with what we were doing.
What utter bullshit. The majority of the public are not pleased with being pulled to the side, hand swip with a swab police telling you that you are being detained for a drug investigateion. Swim can't believe the reporter said a majority of the public approves. How does he know? The press are full of idiots and you have heard me countless times bitch about it, so swim has said his peace.