Not in Our Town campaign brings significant crime reduction as police and partners clear, hold and with the community, build a town hostile to organised crime

Police have arrested 112 suspected drug dealers concerned in the supply of Class A and B drugs, and dismantled two drug lines as part of work to tackle serious and organised crime in Gosport. 

The arrests have all been part of a wider campaign called Not In Our Town which is designed to clear out the threat of organised crime, and reclaim and rebuild neighbourhoods affected by focusing on what matters most to local people.

Crime in Gosport is on the decline, with crime having fallen at a rate of 2.6% in the last year. Policing has focused on clearing the threat and holding the ground to stop organised crime returning or new threats emerging. The rate of reduction is significant as it provides police and partners with data to show that their actions as part of Not in Our Town is having impact on crime levels in the area and provides confidence and reassurance to the community.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Assistant Chief Constable, Tony Rowlinson 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. By taking targeted action, we aim to reduce offending and improve the quality of life for residents, businesses, and visitors. 

"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.

"Across Gosport, we are focused on tackling the crimes that matter most to communities to reduce offending and improve neighbourhoods." 

“Throughout the planning process, the police and council have jointly been working with resident groups, local businesses and a range of community stakeholders to make sure that every phase of the project not only addresses the crime challenges but also creates a space that can be used by everyone.”

“Gosport has a rich history and cultural significance within Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and the aim is to restore it to a location where residents, businesses and visitors can thrive by reducing crime and anti-social behaviour.” 

In October last year, the Neighbourhoods team in Gosport Police held a joint event with the Police and Crime Commissioner, local council and community partners to update them with the enforcement and police activity taking place as part of the clear phase of Not In Our Town.   

Targeted action has led to a significant reduction in violent crime and drug offences. Our police activity has involved: 
 

- Multiple targeted operations 

- Search and seizure warrants with extensive investigation to bring offenders to justice. 

- Education and prevention measures in schools 

- High-visibility patrolling 

- Knife and licensing operations  

- Joint operations with HMRC, Immigration, Hampshire CC Trading Standards  

- Use of Ancillary Orders to prevent offending through Housing Providers and police initiated orders 

The work with Gosport Borough Council is helping to clear the area of gangs using a range of tactics, such as police and council-enforcement officer patrols, as well as engagement with community members and local businesses.

Working together, we have achieved the following results since April 2024, all as part of Not in Our Town. 
 

- Shut down two drugs lines, including one county line

- 112 arrests in connection to drug supply

- 63% drop in anti-social behaviour in Not in Our Town locality

- 11% reduction in violence with injury  

- Most serious violence down by 20.4% 

- 11.7% in burglaries  
- 52.3% reduction in robberies

We've removed Class A drugs and illicit cash removed from the streets and are seeing an increase in referrals to partner agencies with a decrease in repeat offending. Gosport now receives one of the lowest crime rates for further investigations, less knife crime and other violent crime and fewer neighbourhood crimes and now has the highest victim satisfaction rate in the county.

Gosport Neighbourhoods Inspector Sam Warne, 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. 

“This work aims not only to tackle organised crime around Gosport but also to ensure this remains a space residents can enjoy. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of the police, police and crime commissioner-funded police officers and two additional council ambassadors, we are already beginning to see positive results.”

The project has now entered the third phase of Not in Our Town, run independently of our police action, it addresses the root causes of crime, provides support and opportunities to help people rebuild their lives and protect our communities against organised crime groups.

Achieved with a strong united community response and partner initiatives that work towards leaving a legacy with the local neighbourhood and unity with partners to prevent future problems.

All this activity focuses on reducing the activity of organised crime in the area and improving community safety and confidence in the police. Share your thoughts and experiences about crime and safety in Gosport to help shape our work by taking part in a quick anonymous survey. Complete the survey here.

You can report suspicious activity and help us keep our streets safe. If you see something, say something. Report crime and suspicious activity to the police on 101, always call 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.