Serious organised crime in Gosport is being tackled head on, thanks to a major initiative between police, Gosport Borough Council and others.

Multiple arrests have been made by police for drug-dealing and properties shut down, creating a safer environment for residents and town centre businesses.

The initiative, called Not In Our Town, has been in operation for over a year in the Town and Harbourside wards. It’s designed to clear out the threat of organised crime, and reclaim and rebuild neighbourhoods affected by focusing on what matters most to local people.

And it’s having an impact – there’s been a 20.4% reduction in reports of the most serious crimes, and a 2.6% reduction in crime rates overall, according to police.

Police reports of antisocial behaviour are also down 63% in the Not in Our Town area. A big part has been council-commissioned security, funded by the Police and Crime Commissioner, who patrol the town centre. Security staff work with businesses, residents and police to target shoplifters, street drinkers and clear unwanted behaviour.

Gosport Borough Council Leader Cllr Peter Chegwyn said: “We’ve been working for some time with police to make Gosport safer, to make the town centre feel safer.

“The whole atmosphere is improving, there are new shops opening, old eyesores like the bus station we’re about to demolish to open up the area to the public. It’s all about making Gosport a safer place in which to live, work and shop.

“The initiatives that police and the council have introduced have had a really big impact, they’ve certainly disrupted the drugs trade in the town.

“We’ve had a really positive response from shopkeepers and shoppers alike. They can see that something’s happening, they feel safer to see security guards in the town.”

The council has helped identity properties used for drug activity and occupants have been arrested, clearing the criminal activity to improve the lives of residents.

Engagement work has taken place in Gosport’s secondary schools to educate the 2,000 plus pupils about the dangers of gangs and crime.

The next phase of partnership initiatives will work with the public and specialist organisations to keep perpetrators away and protect communities from serious organised crime.

Cllr Chegwyn added: We’ve made a really positive start, but there’s still a long way to go. We need to work with the public, we need them to tell us where there are problems so we can take action.”

Residents are asked to share their experiences about crime and safety in Gosport by completing this survey: https://survey.hampshirealert.co.uk/

Anyone who is aware of criminal activity should report it to police by calling 101, or 999 in an emergency. If you don’t want to speak directly to the police, you can also call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.