More than 100 'suspected drug dealers' arrested as police relentlessly tackle serious crime in Gosport
Serious violence in Gosport has seen a significant decline over the past year, as police continue to crack down on drug networks operating in the area.
Police officers have arrested 112 suspected drug dealers concerned in the supply of Class A and B drugs as part of a wider campaign to tackle serious and organised crime in Gosport.
The campaign, Not in Our Town, which is designed to tackle the threat of organised crime, and rebuild neighbourhoods affected, has also dismantled two drug lines as part of the ongoing work.
The crime rate in Gosport has decreased by 2.6 per cent in the last year with serious violence down by 20.4 per cent and anti-social behaviour has dropped by 63 per cent.
Tony Rowlinson, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Assistant Chief Constable, said: "Police tackling drug supply is of huge significance for a local community, we all know it's often linked to other offences such as robbery and violent crime.
"The Clear and Hold phase of Not in Our Town has been running for over a year now, and follows months of planning and problem solving by local officers, who have been listening to people in Gosport to understand what matters most to them.”
Last October, the Neighbourhoods team in Gosport Police organised a joint event with the Police and Crime Commissioner, local council and community partners to provide information about the ongoing police activity.
As part of the campaign police officers have engaged in multiple targeted operations, search and seizure warrants, knife and licensing operations and joint operations with HMRC, Immigration, Hampshire CC Trading Standards.
Chief Constable Rowlinson added:"Across Gosport, we are focused on tackling the crimes that matter most to communities to reduce offending and improve neighbourhoods."
Sam Warne, Gosport Neighbourhoods Inspector, said: "Improving community safety is one of the main concerns expressed to us by many residents, which is why we're investing to make our borough a safer space.
“We’ve been working in partnership with Gosport Borough Council and the community safety partnership which provides a new collaborative community safety model for us to work and address these issues.”
You can report crime and suspicious activity to the police on 101 or call 999 in an emergency.