Crime clampdown in city's most deprived estate
Leicestershire Police has carried out five raids in the Saffron Lane estate since launching their campaign
- Published
A new scheme to tackle organised crime in the most deprived area of Leicestershire has been launched by police.
The new "Safer Saffron" campaign will see officers enforce a three-part plan to rid the Saffron Lane estate of serious criminal activity.
Community leaders said issues around anti-social behaviour, crime and a lack of education remained common in the estate.
Government figures show the suburb is the 172nd most deprived area in the UK, of more than 32,000 areas.
Leicestershire Police said it would pilot the Home Office's "Clear Hold Build" method, which aims to tackle serious crime.
The force said it would first attempt to clear the estate of criminals, before stabilising the area through an increased police presence.
It said officers would then aim to build a "strong and resilient community" alongside local authority partners.
Josh Dixon, from the Goldhill Adventure Playground, says young people need a sense of belonging
Community groups have welcomed the move, but said more needed to be done to improve the quality of life for those living on the estate.
Adrian Hinds, from the Pink Lizard Company - a community organisation focused on developing the prospects for young people - said the area had "lots of issues".
"People leave a school without qualifications, there are ongoing drug issues and knife crime," he said.
"Getting people into work is something that we struggle with."
Mr Hinds said the authorities needed to "pump money into the area" to bring better public services to the estate.
Josh Dixon, from Goldhill Adventure Playground, said: "We need to give these young people a sense of belonging and [a belief] that they can have a bright future and they don't have to turn to gangs or drugs or crimes."
Insp Paul Crewe said organised crime groups had possibly "flourished" in the area
Insp Paul Crewe, neighbourhood policing area commander for south Leicester, said that in the past year, 50% of crimes recorded in the Saffron Lane estate were drug-related.
Leicestershire Police has already carried out five warrants in the area in the past few weeks, seizing a "significant" quantity of Class A drugs.
"We do know that the behaviour of a small number of individuals in that area does affect the quality of life of everybody else," he said.
“These areas have so much to be proud of, but serious crime has implications for the whole community, from an increase in anti-social behaviour to impacts on local services like the NHS and social care.
"We're committed to taking that away from them and making the area a safer place to be."
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