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More than 150 arrests and numerous offenders jailed so far as part of Project Flex |
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More than 150 arrests have been made, numerous offenders have received lengthy jail sentences and over £100, 000 worth of illegal drugs have been seized so far as part of a project to tackle serous and organised crime in Derby. Key stakeholders including Derbyshire Constabulary, Derby City Council and other partners are working together to tackle issues affecting communities in south Derby as part of Project Flex. A mixture of proactive and preventative work has led to a number of key results with officers making significant progress in disrupting serious and organised crime in the area. This includes:- *161 arrests, including 99 for drug offences Of those arrested for drug offences, which includes possession and dealing, 31 have appeared at court with several receiving lengthy jail sentences of four years or more. 36 suspects remain under investigation. In terms of the drugs recovered, this includes 53kg of Mamba leaf or substances used to make the drug. Weapons seized include bladed articles, a sawn-off shotgun, two tasers and two cans of pepper spray. The team has also identified nine homes as being cuckooed - where criminals take over the home of a vulnerable person to be used for illegal activity - and measures have been put in place to keep affected residents safe. Two organised crime groups (OCGs) have also seen their drug dealing empires dismantled. The work of the team has been underpinned by the local Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNTs), who have played a key role in tackling ongoing issues such as anti-social behaviour (ASB), vehicle crime and drug offences. Partnership working has also been an important theme of the project and the council’s Trading Standards officers have sized a number of counterfeit goods, including vapes, perfumes, toys and other items. A multi-agency operation in June to target organised immigration crime in the city resulted in 11 arrests for crimes including immigration offences, theft and assault, and also led to the seizure of seven vehicles suspected to be used for criminal purposes. Inspector Tony England, who is leading the project, said: “These results present a snapshot of the extensive work that has gone into Project Flex so far and I would like to pay tribute to the team and partner agencies for all of their sterling efforts to date. “It is clear that the mixture of proactive enforcement and preventative work is really having an impact in the community – which is exactly what we hoped for. “Our dedicated work to improve the communities in which we serve will continue for the rest of this phase and into the next stages of the project.” The project is using the Home Office’s ‘Clear Hold Build’ framework in order to disrupt serious organised crime, reclaim and rebuild the neighbourhoods affected. The area being focused on runs from St Peter’s Street in the city centre down towards the edge of Rosehill and includes Green Lane, Wilmot Street, College Park, Southgate Retail Park, Moore Street and the Grove Street Car Park areas. The initial ‘Clear’ part has an emphasis on police enforcement. Once this initial stage is completed, the project will enter the ‘Hold’ phase, which will involve a mixture of enforcement and community work – such as high-visibility patrols and community clear-ups - in order to prevent other criminal groups from moving into the area. Moving forward the project will enter the third and final ‘Build’ phase, which will involve supporting residents to regenerate the area via a range of projects such as the creation of a community garden. For more information about the project please visit Project Flex in Derby | Derbyshire Constabulary and follow our social media channels by searching the hashtag #Flex | ||
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