Police patrols step up to tackle drug dealing on street stairs
Norwich city councillor Ben Price is calling for measures to help deter drug dealing on the stairs running between Stan Petersen Close and Beatrice Road - Credit: Submitted
A city councillor is calling for measures to be taken to help combat anti-social behaviour and drug issues as police patrols have increased in the area this week.
Ben Price, who represents the Thorpe Hamlet ward of Norwich, has been in communication with police regarding drug dealing on the stairs which run between Stan Petersen Close and Beatrice Road.
A large quantity of drugs and cash was recovered in early April in the area, as extra patrols have been conducted around Hill House Road, Stan Petersen Close and Beatrice Road this week.
Mr Price, who chairs Norwich East SNAP, said the area has been identified as a priority for policing after communication with residents and Lionwood Infant School.
He is calling for the city council to redeploy mobile CCTV cameras in the area, and for pollarding as a number of trees overhang the stairs from wasteland owned by the council. Mr Price also requested improved lighting and regular sweeps of the stairs.
"There were reports of needles and human waste on the stairs," Mr Price said.
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"On March 31, I put in an enquiry to the council and spoke to the local policing team and we concluded a hard-hitting police blitz of the stairs was needed to act as a a deterrent for drug use."
The stairs were first identified as a problem for criminal activity a year-and-a-half-ago. Mr Price said the headteacher of Lionwood has been "very proactive" in working with the police to tackle the issue.
Regular police patrols are taking place on the stairs running between Stan Petersen Close and Beatrice Road in Thorpe Hamlet - Credit: Ben Price
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The issue has come back into focus again over the past couple of weeks after drug sweeps were conducted over a year ago.
Mr Price said: "Residents prioritised the area around Thorpe Road and Chalk Hill Road as a real upsurge in anti-social-behaviour since Christmas. There has been an indirect correlation to the good work the council has done in getting everyone off the streets.
"A couple of weeks ago a resident on Stan Petersen Close contacted me saying the stairs are really bad and there is a lot more drug dealing going on. I said I would start working with the police and head of the school on the issue and we have looked at a number of enquiries about that."
Norwich City Council has been contacted for comment.
