Blitz on crime and anti-social behaviour on Cosham High Street as MP welcomes police minister

The Labour MP welcomed policing minister Dame Diana Johnson to Cosham High Street on Tuesday to shadow a neighbourhood policing operation and witness first-hand how Hampshire police is tackling anti-social behaviour and street crime.

This comes after the launch of the new Safer Streets Summer Initiative by the Home Office, focusing on protecting town centres from street crime and anti-social behaviour. So far the initiative has seen 28 towns across the region joining over 500 nationwide in a coordinated clampdown.

Dame Johnson and Ms Martin were involved in talks with Hampshire crime commissioner Donna Jones at the new Cosham Police Station before the two MPs - flanked by officers and PCSOs - walked over the footbridge and along the High Street and into a handful of shops.

Police spoke to shop staff to give them progress updates over incidents they have faced while the Labour MPs spoke to shop staff about issues they encounter - including a stark revelation from a Tesco security guard of being threatened with a knife on one occasion.

While there was some scepticism from curious onlooking locals about crime being reduced around the centre of Cosham, Ms Martin was adamant there had been a marked improvement.

The MP said a major offender linked to 29 burglary/shoplifting offences in Cosham was now behind bars, shoplifting was down 33.3% this summer thanks to targeted police action and serious violence, including knife crime, had been reduced to 23.5% in Portsmouth since 2022.

Ms Martin said: “I brought (Dame Johnson) to Cosham High Street to see the early results of the home secretary’s Safer Streets summer blitz - more patrols, stronger enforcement, and action to cut crime and anti-social behaviour.

“Thousands of shoppers and businesses have felt the benefit with Safer Streets, visible policing, and real results.”

Dame Johnson said: “The government is committed to an additional 13,000 additional officers over this parliament. This year - the first year we’ve been in power - we’ve put £200m into neighbourhood policing.

“We’ve divided it out across all the forces and we’ve said to them to work out what you need whether it’s PCSOs or police officers. So that’s what is happening now and why I’m (in Cosham).

“(I want to) see how in Hampshire that money is being spent and how resources are being deployed, particularly into high streets and town centres - that’s what we said we want police to do this summer. But this is just the start because we know there is much more still to do.”

It comes as Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary will be boosted by 65 additional neighbourhood officers, who will be joining neighbourhood policing teams by spring next year. This means up to 3,000 more officers and PCSOs in neighbourhood policing across all police forces in England and Wales.

Meanwhile nearby officers from Havant’s Neighbourhood Policing Team have worked with a range of partners to address a spike in youth-related anti-social behaviour and violent crime at the Greywell Shopping Centre in Leigh Park. The team worked with retailers, Havant Borough Council and outreach services to better share information and identify those involved.

Effective management and diversionary planning, as well as proportionate enforcement activity, has seen significant reductions in anti-social behaviour and violent crime and the creation of community events to help break the cycle of offending for young people in Leigh Park.

The Home Office has said police patrols have halved in the past decade, while shoplifting has soared to record levels across the country - with the latest statistics showing 17, 200 anti-social incidents in Hampshire and Isle of Wight.

As part of its campaign to provide a more direct link between the public and police to tackle crime, named contactable officers are now in place across every neighbourhood in Hampshire and Isle of Wight. “Tasked with restoring a connection with the communities they serve, these dedicated officers will provide a guaranteed response for local concerns and enquiries,” a Home Office spokesperson said.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary is also now holding regular public meetings to give residents and businesses a voice on the issues they face, in addition to a dedicated anti-social behaviour lead delivering tailored action plans to tackle these concerns.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight’s assistant chief constable Tara McGovern said: “Our mission is to provide exceptional local policing in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. That’s why, in the past two years, we have transformed the way we work, to give more power back to policing districts and bring officers closer to the communities we serve.

“This work includes the introduction of named, contactable officers under our Local Bobbies scheme in January 2024. This summer, our officers are working hard to tackle ASB and make our streets safer. The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee suggests we are on the right track but we are not complacent and we will look at every available option to better serve our communities.”

Home secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Communities are sick of the anti-social behaviour and shop theft blighting their town centres. There are too many neighbourhoods across the country who simply do not feel safe.

“A connection between the police and public has been lost for too long but restoring visible officers to our streets and giving communities a proper named contact will rebuild those bonds with the communities they serve.

“The work forces have done so far under this government’s Plan for Change to restore trusted neighbourhood policing is already making a clear difference. We are now ending the postcode lottery of policing and ensuring every single community has a voice to make their streets safer.”