Tackling drug dealing across South Highfields, particularly around Lincoln Street, Conduit Street, College Street and Upper Tichborne Street, remains a key priority for your local neighbourhood policing team. Since the arrival of Police Sergeant Parr, the team has adopted a proactive and robust approach to tackling those involved in drug-related criminality. Drawing on his extensive experience in neighbourhood policing, officers have been carrying out almost daily patrols and targeted operations in the College Street and Lincoln Street areas. As a result of this increased activity, a number of individuals have been arrested for a variety of offences, including being wanted on warrants, recall to prison, outstanding investigations, and drug-related offences. By consistently targeting those responsible for causing harm in our communities, we are making the area increasingly hostile for those involved in criminal activity. Alongside enforcement against offenders, we have also focused on addressing properties being used to facilitate drug dealing. We are currently progressing a closure order application for a property on College Street that has been linked to ongoing criminality. If granted, the order will prevent individuals from accessing the premises and help protect the local community from further anti-social and criminal behaviour. As a direct result of this disruption, some activity has shifted towards Lincoln Street. In response, Leicester City Council has begun the legal process for a further closure order on another property linked to drug-related concerns in the area. The net is slowly closing on those involved. Regular seizures of cash and drugs, combined with enforcement action and property closures, are making it increasingly difficult for offenders to profit from exploiting vulnerable people and dealing drugs within our community. Reducing retail theft and shoplifting offences affecting businesses on London Road remains a key priority for your local neighbourhood policing team. We continue to work closely with retail outlets along London Road to tackle shop theft and support businesses affected by repeat offenders. A key part of this work has been improving engagement with victims of retail crime, ensuring that witness statements and CCTV evidence are obtained promptly. This allows officers to build stronger cases, identify suspects more quickly, and take positive action against those responsible. By receiving evidence in a timely manner, local officers are able to put names to faces, proactively target offenders, and progress investigations. This has resulted in officers identifying and arresting individuals who were outstanding for shop theft offences and other criminal matters. Alongside this investigative work, dedicated operations have been carried out in the area with officers deployed and ready to respond immediately to reports of shop thefts in progress. This approach enables officers to quickly flood the area, locate suspects, and where possible catch offenders in the act. Retail crime can have a significant impact on local businesses, their staff, and the wider community. Our neighbourhood team remains committed to working with retailers, sharing information, gathering evidence, and taking robust action against those who repeatedly target shops on London Road. Addressing anti-social behaviour, drug-related activity, and environmental issues affecting the St James Road and Abingdon Road area remains a priority for your local neighbourhood policing team. Work is continuing, alongside partner agencies, to tackle the longstanding issues affecting the area behind properties on St James Road and Abingdon Road. While progress has been slower than we would ideally like, positive work is ongoing to find a long-term solution that improves the area for local residents. Officers are currently working closely with Leicester City Council and other partner agencies to secure previously installed gates at the location. The aim is to prevent the area from being accessed and misused for drug dealing, drug use, and other anti-social behaviour, including people using the area as a toilet. These issues have had a significant impact on the quality of life for nearby residents, and we remain committed to addressing them. Regular meetings and communication continue between the police, the council, and partner organisations to progress the necessary work and explore further opportunities to improve the area. By working together, we are seeking to create a lasting solution that reduces criminality, improves the environment, and makes residents feel safer in their neighbourhood. Although these types of problem-solving initiatives can take time, we want to reassure residents that this remains an active piece of work. We will continue to push for progress and work with our partners to speed up the process wherever possible. | 
