The one hundred worst repeat offenders in Cheshire will be targeted by a new 'super team' chaired by the Police and Crime Commissioner.
The 'team' forms part of the plans being formulated by former Assistant Chief Constable John Dwyer and now Conservative Candidate for Commissioner. His plans have the backing of Britain's new policing minister.
John said, "This small group of offenders take up hundreds of police hours a year and similar amounts of time in other agencies like the Courts and Probation. Drugs are nearly always the common denominator and the current criminal justice provisions seem to have little or no effect.
The team will have representatives from GP's, Mental Health, Housing Trusts, Drug Rehabilitation, the Probation Service, the Court Service, local authorities and the Police. It will be chaired by the Commissioner personally and seek to find individual treaments and punishments for the recognised offenders with the sole aim to ween them off drugs and crime.
"Each of these offenders will have a special and tailored programme of help. They account for a frightening amount of crimes across Cheshire and are often arrested several times a week. If the team is only partially successful it will have a major impact on freeing up police hours and lowering crime rates."
New Policing Minister Damien Green is backing John's proposal, "This is an exciting new initiative and one I will be watching and monitoring very closely. So many crimes in the UK are committed by a small group of people often to feed a highly destructive drug addiction. We need to be ever vigilant in finding new ways to help. In his campaign, John Dwyer is already proving that the new role of Police & Crime Commissioner has the potential bring in fresh and valuable thinking."