Endeavouring to Clear, Hold and Build better communities

Police and partners plan to clear criminal gangs from local communities, hold the area to prevent other gangs from moving in and then build for a better future through Operation Endeavour.

‘Clear, Hold, Build’ has already been adopted in other parts of the country. Police and Crime Commissioner Chris Nelson said “This is all about creating crime-free communities that can be happier, healthier and more prosperous”.

 ‘Clear, Hold, Build’ is a nationally recognised plan in which:

• Phase one - police and partners pursue criminal gang members using all their available powers and tactics to clear them from a particular area.
• Phase two - continued activity follows to hold the area and prevent other gangs moving-in.
• Phase three - partners and police work with those who live there to build the community into a more prosperous and crime-free place.

Police and Crime Commissioner Chris Nelson said, “I have always taken a zero-tolerance approach to anti-social behaviour and drug dealing. Endeavour takes that zero-tolerance to the next level, using all means at our disposal to tackle organised criminality that is deeply embedded within some of our communities.

“This is all about creating crime-free communities that can be happier, healthier and more prosperous”.

Chief Supt Roddy Gosden said, “Clear, Hold, Build, is about breaking the impact organised criminality has on our communities. It is about finding lasting, long-term, solutions that involve communities and partner agencies working together.

“By doing this, organised crime groups find it impossible to operate, and we create an environment in which communities feel empowered, strong and confident, thereby flourishing and improving the lives of all”.

The Endeavour initially focuses on The Moors and St Paul's areas of Cheltenham. Partners are working together to rid the area of criminals and rebuild the communities with activity being underway currently.

At a launch event in Cheltenham in July, an audience made up of police, Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, local councils, schools, NHS, housing agencies and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, heard a Home Office official give a national overview of ‘Clear, Hold, Build’. There was also a presentation from a spokesperson from a community safety partnership which has been delivering the strategy in Barnsley, South Yorkshire.

Councillor Victoria Atherstone, cabinet member for safety and communities said: ‘’Together with partners, we want to create communities where people are happy, healthy and have opportunity to thrive. Through Endeavour, this means working to give local people improved and more equal access to health services, wellbeing, education, jobs and leisure activities.  Importantly, this includes taking measures to drive out crime and anti-social behaviour and turn the focus to positive intervention and support to the community through activities and initiatives, making neighbourhoods supportive and better places to be.’’