More than 100 arrests made as part of project to tackle serious and organised crime in Derby

A collaborative project to tackle serous and organised crime in part of Derby has so far resulted in more than 100 arrests.

Project Flex is a collaborative initiative between Derbyshire Constabulary, Derby City Council, other key partners and the community to tackle issues affecting south Derby.

Since launching in October last year, officers have made significant gains in disrupting serious and organised criminals operating in the area through a mixture of proactive and preventative work.

This includes:-

*Making 105 arrests, including 52 for drug supply

*About 60 of these suspects have been either charged or remanded into custody

*More than £100, 000 worth of drugs have been seized, including over 50kg of synthetic cannabinoids – commonly known as Mamba

*A significant amount of weapons taken off our streets, including a sawn-off shotgun, two tasers and two cans of pepper spray  

*Six offenders have been handed long‑term prison sentences.

The team has also completed a lot of work around target mapping and dismantling drug supply lines.

This has included identifying cuckooed properties – where criminals take over a vulnerable person’s home for their own gain - and ensuring the occupants have been safeguarded.

Officers have also worked with partner agencies to ensure children being exploited within the drug trade have been offered support and safer environments.  

In addition, more than 320 stop searches of suspects have been conducted in the area as part of proactive patrols to keep the community safe.    

The work of the Project Flex team so far has been underpinned and done in collaboration with the Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) officers. 

Inspector Anthony England, who is leading the project, said: “The results speak for themselves and show that we are making a real impact in the communities we are serving as part of the project.

“This is a multi-faceted project involving many different policing departments, partner agencies and the community.

“This holistic, team-focused approach is making a real difference, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in the initiative for their hard-work to date.

“Our data-driven and intelligence-led work will continue to make sure we are on the front foot in tackling issues affecting this part of the city.”

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 will have 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.

The project will last for about 18 months, having been launched last Autumn.

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

To find out more about how stop and search powers help to keep our streets safe and what to expect if you are stopped, please visit:- Stop and search | Derbyshire Constabulary

Crimes can be reported to us using one of the methods below:-

You can also anonymously contact the independent charity CrimeStoppers, on 0800 555 111, or by visiting the CrimeStoppers website.

For emergencies ring 999.