Humberside Police have today announced they have taken a delivery of new spiking testing kits.
There has been a rise in reports of spiking, whether by suspected injection or by having something slipped into a drink, which Humberside Police take all reports incredibly seriously and have investigations ongoing to determine the causes of reported incidents, and identify any perpetrators.
These new kits are designed to recognise up to 20 different drugs. They will be used by the police for testing between four and 24 hours after the spiking is suspected to have occurred.
A urine sample obtained from these new kits will assist the force in quickly identifying what substances may have been used and to offer support to the victim whilst forensic enquiries are made.
Assistant Chief Constable Darren Downs said: “These new kits are the latest items at our disposal to combat spiking. They have proven very successful and we hope their availability will reassure the public that they can spend time in our region’s venues in safety.
“The kits pick up a range of drugs associated with spiking, as well as drugs that people may have taken recreationally.
“The results from these kits will only be used for intelligence purposes. We are not using them to take action against people who may have taken recreational drugs, as we work with our partners to offer them the help they need.”
Being spiked is never the fault of the victim and Humberside Police are keen to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice. For many months, the force have been working with their partners to educate all parts of the night-time economy on the dangers of spiking and improving conviction rates where a crime is found to have taken place.
The positive impact of more members of the public coming forward when they suspect they have been spiked has given the police the opportunity to investigate these incidents more comprehensively, and it is hoped the new kits will allow them to tackle evidence threshold issues more effectively than ever before.
Alongside their partners, Humberside Police have been carrying out preventative work with venues across the area for several months. This includes providing spike testing kits, glass covers and bottle stoppers, as well as educating staff on how to spot signs someone has been spiked and what to do to help them.
Humberside Police encourage everyone whilst out to…
- Protect your drinks: Use existing preventative measures such as glass covers and bottle stoppers.
- Look out for your friends: If they seem to be acting differently, talk to them. If your concerns remain, tell bar or door staff to see if they can get their drink tested or get help in the venue.
- Report incidents to the police: In an emergency, always call 999. Most drugs leave the body within 72 hours and GHB leaves within 12 hours. It is important to get tested as soon as possible.
Humberside’s officers will continue to patrol busy nightlife hotspots and are trained to deal with these incidents.
There is also the “Ask for Angela” scheme across a lot of bars and pubs in the UK, whereby if you are concerned about someone’s behaviour, you can approach staff and “ask for Angela”. You will then be taken by a staff member to a place of safety.
Safety tips about spiking can be found on the Talk to Frank website.
