Police officers have been targeting those who are bringing drugs and weapons into the city centre, including seizing more than 300 wraps of heroin and crack cocaine.
Operation Reclaim is a partnership approach to tackling the major issues affecting the city centre and making the area a safer place for people to live, work and visit.
This includes tackling youth anti-social behaviour, drug dealing, weapon carrying, illegal e-bikes, aggressive begging and retail crime.
For the month of May, the knife crime team have been on regular patrols across the city centre, ensuring that the area becomes a ‘no-go’ area for criminals to operate.
On 26 May, just before 12 pm, officers noticed suspicious activity in North Sherwood Street, which is becoming a well-known spot for drug deals.
A man was stopped and searched, and two large bundles of crack cocaine and heroin were discovered. This amounted to 325 wraps.
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Keinan Saxton, aged 25, of no fixed address, was arrested and charged with possession with intent to supply Class A drugs (crack cocaine and heroin).
Saxton has been remanded into custody until his next court appearance.
Officers also noticed suspicious activity in the back of a taxi on Maid Marian Way on 21 May, just after 3.30 pm. 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 19, of Penn Avenue, was charged with possession with intent to supply a Class A drug (cocaine) and a Class B drug (cannabis) and has been remanded into custody until his next court appearance.
Officers also observed suspicious activity taking place along the canal footpaths in the city centre. Plain-clothes officers were deployed to the area around Cattle Market Road on 20 May, just before 12.30 pm.
Two boys, aged 17 and 16, decided to run from the scene when the plain-clothes officers identified themselves.
Items were thrown into the canal during the foot chase and were later recovered by the police dive team: a large machete, a knife and a bundle of Class A drugs (crack cocaine and heroin).
Both boys have been arrested on suspicion of carrying a bladed article in a public place and possession with intent to supply a Class A drug.
The investigation continues, with strict restrictions in place for both boys while officers work to ensure charges are brought against them.
op reclaim crack cocaine recovered.jpg Police dive team find crack cocaine dumped in the canal
The knife crime team have also been out in force across the county.
For the month of May, across both the city and county, they have carried out 50 stop and searches.
This has resulted in 12 arrests, two offensive weapons being seized, eight cash seizures, 11 drug seizures and two vehicle seizures.
City Commander Superintendent Chris Pearson said:
“I have always been very clear that we will not let a minority of individuals spoil our city.
“Members of the public should be able to walk around the city and feel safe, and not feel intimidated by the likes of a few individuals who think they are above the law.
“Hard-working retail staff should be able to go to work without being threatened with violence or having to deal with those who set out to attack their place of work.
“Violence involving weapons is linked to drug supply, and that is why our officers working on Operation Reclaim will be out in uniform and in plain clothes, ensuring these people are caught.
“These results show that we will do everything in our power to take away your drugs, your cash, your vehicles, and make life as unbearably difficult for you as possible, so you can’t step back into Nottingham city centre or operate across our city.”
