Extra police patrols across Nottinghamshire in a crackdown on knife crime
Police have been given over £450,000 from the Home Office to target hot spot areas
Hundreds of hours of high-visibility police patrols have been delivered as part of a major ongoing anti-knife crime initiative across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire which is already delivering positive results.
Nottinghamshire Police has received £453,247 of Home Office funding from its Knife Crime Concentration Fund during this financial year, which has allowed officers to carry out extra targeted foot patrols in hotspot areas where knife crime has been identified as an issue, helping to create safer spaces for residents and communities.
In addition to enforcement, the initiative also focuses on effective problem-solving work, including collaboration with partners such as councils, youth services, and community organisations, as well as early intervention and safeguarding.
Areas already benefitting from extra patrols through the funding include Nottingham city centre, Beeston, Mansfield (including Ravensdale) and Ashfield.
The additional hotspot patrols have already delivered tangible results in protecting residents from the harm caused by knife-crime, including arrests, weapons seizures, stop and searches and gathering valuable intelligence.
Examples include the arrest of a 39-year-old man in Nottingham city centre on 17 July, who was wanted in connection with a serious assault.
During the same patrols that day officers also arrested another suspect in the city centre, a 40-year-old man, wanted for failing to attend court.
On 9 July officers from the force's knife crime team patrolling in the city centre area arrested a 14-year-old boy on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs. A large bundle of suspected Class A drugs was also seized.
On 21 May knife crime team officers stopped and searched a man after noticing suspicious activity in the back of a taxi in Maid Marion Way. They stopped the taxi and carried out a search.
They discovered a lock knife and a rucksack containing more than 100 deal bags of cannabis and a quantity of cocaine.
Mohammed Alsoso, aged 20, of Penn Avenue, was charged with possession of a knife in a public place, possession with intent to supply a Class A (cocaine) and Class B drug (cannabis) and possession of criminal property.
He has pleaded guilty to these charges and has been remanded in custody until his next court appearance.
Chief Inspector Kylie Davies, Nottinghamshire Police's knife crime lead who also oversees policing in the city centre, said:
"We know knife crime often goes hand-in-hand with drug-related crime, violent disorder and other criminality and can have a devastating impact on victims, families and communities.
"We have a number of different initiatives in place, working closely with our partners, to prevent and reduce knife crime across the city and county.
"This ongoing work has only been strengthened through this Knife Crime Concentration Fund allocation which has enabled us to increase our high-visibility foot patrols in identified crime hotspot areas, helping us to protect members of the public from harm.
“This extra funding also gives us the opportunity to focus our resources in areas where knife crime is having a direct impact on people's quality of life, playing a vital role in deterring and reducing crime, while providing residents with a strong, visible presence in their communities."
Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Gary Godden added:
“Knife crime has devastating and often lifelong consequences, which is why preventing violence and protecting our communities remains one of my highest priorities.
“This additional Home Office funding is allowing Nottinghamshire Police to put more officers where they are needed most, providing a visible presence in areas affected by knife crime while helping to identify offenders, remove weapons from our streets and reassure local communities.
“But enforcement is only one part of the picture. Through our Violence Reduction Partnership, we’re also investing in early intervention, education and community-based initiatives that address the root causes of serious violence and help steer young people away from crime before they become involved."
“By combining targeted policing with prevention and strong partnership working, we’re taking a comprehensive approach to reducing knife crime and making Nottinghamshire a safer place for everyone.”