Police in Peterborough urge new students in the area to be aware of the signs of drink spiking
Police will carry drug testing kits this weekend whilst on night-time patrols in Peterborough city centre as part of preventative measures
Police officers in Peterborough will carry drug screening test kits as they urge students and pubs and clubs to be aware of how to spot drink spiking.
It's as part of an operation to raise awareness of drink spiking and is set to run until Sunday. The test kits will be carried by officers on night-time patrols in Peterborough City centre this weekend on Friday and Saturday.
Other preventative measures will see officers work with pubs and clubs in key locations to give up-to-date information on how to spot and handle spiking in their premises.
They will also be targeting predatory behaviour, particularly aimed at women and girls, and will be visiting colleges and universities to highlight the issue.
To complement this, the force will be displaying “Be Spike Aware” digital boards at universities in during Freshers’ Weeks.
Some of the symptoms of drink spiking can include; Confusion, paranoia, nausea or vomiting, memory loss, and loss of balance.
And the force’s spiking webpage offers information on where to get medical help, support and advice and how to report spiking.
Detective Chief Inspector Amerjit Singh, in the Protecting Vulnerable People Department at Cambridgeshire Police said:
"It's actually quite a nasty crime in the sense that people can feel that they have been taken advantage of or that they feel their defences are down because of spiking. It has that effect on individuals. They may feel unsafe.
"So the ambition over the course of this week is to raise awareness and to promote that culture, that positive culture of cooperation and collaboration to prevent those offences.
"However, Cambridge Constabulary are committed to dealing with offenders robustly during the course of the week and going forward. For those that do commit these offences.
"Everyone is entitled to have a good time. Everyone is entitled to having a safe environment where they can consume alcohol and and be with friends and enjoy each other's company.
"What we want to do as an organisation is to ensure that we create that safe environment and it's our duty to ensure that we keep people safe.
"It is one of our priorities to safeguard the vulnerable. So it's key that all of our key stakeholders and businesses and everyone who is committed to creating a safe culture encourage participation this week. Our focus in the week is education."