Some of those living in Hucknall say they "would not dare" go out in the town at night after hundreds of residents were recently sent letters from police about anti-social behaviour. The Ashfield Police team recently said it had been conducting foot patrols around certain areas of Hucknall following "numerous reports" of drug activity.
During these patrols, a large knife was recovered from The Ranges Park. The police team said they had sent letters to 200 people in the Hucknall North and Hucknall Central areas detailing how to report issues such as drug dealing and anti-social behaviour.
People in Hucknall's town centre on Friday (February 24) said they were aware of some of the recent issues. Colin Conway, 67, said: "I think it's just a sign of the times we're living in.
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"You never see a police officer around here anymore and even if the police are involved, there's then the question of whether they are actually going to do anything. We're not really in the town centre much at night but we have heard some of the things that have been going on."
Sergeant Dale Smith, who oversees the Hucknall area, said: "We have been reaching out directly to local residents to get a better understanding of the problems they face and to build up intelligence against individual suspects. We may not take immediate action but every bit of information we receive is evaluated and does have the potential to make a difference."
One woman who said she was "born and bred" in Hucknall, who did not want to be named, said: "I wouldn't dare go out at night on my own now because of what's going on. One of the big things now is the lack of respect that some young people have for the police.
"When I was younger, if a police officer so much as looked at you, you thought you were in trouble. Shoplifting is a big one and I have been in one of the shops when somebody was actually caught. But the anti-social behaviour I don't see as much of because I do try and stay in at night and when we do go out at the weekend, we always get a taxi back from town."
Data from the Police UK website, which maps reports of crimes across the country, shows that 51 anti-social behaviour reports were made in Hucknall in December. That figure was down on November's figure of 81 though.
Andy Lamb, 52, said: "At the back end of last year there were a group of kids around 12 to 14 who were jumping on the roofs of some of the buildings in town. I'm somebody who wouldn't be intimidated at all by young people like that but there were around 10 or 20 of them, so I can easily see how they would have put fear in some people."
But Pete Butler, 72, added: "I don't see much of it myself to be honest. It does get a bit rowdy on a Friday night when the pubs are turning out, but we probably need a bit more of that in terms of people coming out in the town centre.
"I've always lived in Hucknall and generally I think it's still a nice place to be. The free parking has been a bit of a boom for the town centre too."
Nottinghamshire Police says anyone with information should reach out to the force by calling 101 or Crimestoppers. People can also visit the Hucknall Tri Services Hub or email AshfieldNPT@notts.police.uk.
Sergeant Dale Smith added: "Hucknall is already a great place to live but we are working to make it better. Sadly, there are people in our community who blight the lives of their neighbours by dealing drugs, committing other offences, or simply by behaving in ways that are totally unacceptable.
"Nobody should have to live in fear of their neighbours or be concerned about drug-related crime happening in their area. That's why we are working hard with our partners at the local council to take decisive action against problem tenants and drug dealers.
"Properties are being identified for closure other enforcement warrants are also taking place to send a very clear message that this kind of behaviour will never be tolerated. However, we cannot do these things alone and must work in partnership with the communities we serve."
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