Two individuals were arrested and 26 people subjected to drug searches following a targeted police operation targeting nighttime venues in Rochester High Street.
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Officers on patrol and PC Knight with the drugs detection machine
Officers from Medway’s Community Safety Unit visited the High Street on the evening of Friday 18 September 2026 along with several licensing officers and a passive drugs dog.
During the night several establishments were visited, and officers used a specialist drugs machine to swab people as a condition of entry. Anyone who didn’t pass the machine’s test was then spoken to by police and some were subsequently then searched.
As well as searching 26 people, officers also issued 4 Community Resolution notices for drug possession. One local officer also saw a man she knew was wanted for failing to appear at court before she then spotted a second man at another pub who was wanted for a recall to prison. Both individuals were arrested.
Detective Inspector Aaron Watkin said:
‘We regularly carry out proactive operations such as this, and residents and visitors reacted really positively upon seeing us.
‘Many said they felt reassured by the increased police presence and had noticed a positive difference in the area. We will continue to organise proactive operations to ensure anyone behaving inappropriately or carrying out criminality is prevented from doing so.’