'Shock' as Bedford councillor says legalising drugs would remove 'huge burdens' on the justice system

Left: Councillor Graeme Coombes and Right: Councillor Paul Edmonds pictured at the meeting on March 20.

A Bedford borough councillor has said the decriminalisation of drugs would remove “huge burdens” on the justice system.

Councillor Paul Edmonds was speaking during a debate on the Bedford Borough Community Safety Partnership Strategic Plan 2024-2027.

The Green ward councillor for Castle and Newnham said at last night’s Full Council (March 20) Bedfordshire’s illegal drugs market is bigger than Beds Police’s budget.

“The war on drugs has been a disaster,” he said. “Prohibition doesn’t work and people are always going to take drugs.

“Alcohol is a drug, not only is it carcinogenic, it is the cause of so much physical and sexual violence in homes and high streets, often against people who haven’t even consumed it. There would be less drug related crime if drugs were not a crime.

“Decriminalisation would remove huge burdens from the police and criminal justice system and open the door to a more progressive attitude towards managing and treating users as a healthcare issue and tackling addiction.”

But Councillor Graeme Coombes (Conservative, Wixams & Wilstead) did not agree.

“I am shocked to hear an elected member advocating the legalisation of drugs,” he said.

“To say that the war on drugs has failed – the war on drugs has never been fought. Drugs wreck lives, drugs are linked to so much crime, drugs are linked to so many mental health issues, they blight lives. In my opinion no punishment is too severe when dealing with drugs.

“I am shocked to hear that we should be legalising drugs, and I think it’s a very very bad example to suggest to anybody that drugs should be legalised.”

Councillor Edmonds replied: “I know what you are saying, but £1.4 billion is spent on drug-related police enforcement and criminal justice system [costs per year in England]. And a further £5.5 billion is spent on drug related crime.

“It’s not about saying ‘everybody go wild and run around in the streets and take stuff’, it’s about just changing the attitude towards it, taking it away from being a criminal issue and making it a health issue.”