Year of action has cut crime on estate, says force

A year of action by police officers and residents has led to a drop in crime and anti-social behaviour on an estate, a force has said.

In May 2025, the Together we Solve project began on the Bouverie estate in Northampton.

Organisations including West Northamptonshire Council and officers from the police's Clear, Hold, Build team - dedicated to tackling anti-social behaviour - concentrated on issues such as drug dealing and shoplifting.

Northamptonshire Police said reported crime in the area had fallen "by 28%, from 694 offences to 495", suggesting, according to the force, that the collaboration had brought about "positive change".

Clear, Hold, Build describes a three-stage approach to improving community safety.

Crime is cleared from an area then, in the hold phase, police work to stop it returning. Finally, the focus shifts to building a community's long-term resilience.

Teams were set up to divert offenders away from drugs and criminal behaviour.

Patrols to combat shoplifting helped achieve a 58% drop in thefts between April and December 2025, the force added.

Ch Insp Kim Jackson, from the Northamptonshire West policing area, said: "Clear, Hold, Build is about working with communities, helping and empowering them to bring about positive change.

"The support and information we've received from people living on the Bouverie estate has been vital in helping us tackle crime and make the area safer."

Jackson added: "That involvement has made a real difference and will help ensure the improvements we've seen are sustained."

The project also included a targeted Crimestoppers campaign, funded by the council, to encourage the reporting of crime.

Charlie Hastie, a Reform UK councillor who is the cabinet member for housing and communities in West Northamptonshire, said: "By listening to residents and focusing on the issues that matter most to them, we have seen genuine improvements on the Bouverie estate."

The authority was committed to continuing the partnership and "building on the progress made", Hastie added.

Danielle Stone, the Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, said: "Everyone deserves to feel safe where they live.

"I hope that the changes put in place and the relationships built will have lasting success."

The force has begun work on its next area, Spring Boroughs.

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