ANTISOCIAL behaviour has been slashed in Southampton city centre after a cash injection saw extra CCTV and lighting installed.
Hoglands Park, Palmerston Park and Hoglands Skatepark are just some of the areas that have been made safer in the Bargate of the city.
A report has revealed that in 2019-20 there were 1,745 recorded incidents of antisocial behaviour in the area.
But this dropped to 947 in 2021-22, with a year-on-year reduction seeing 1,013 incidents in 2020-21.
Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones secured £550,000 funding from the Home Office's Safer Streets Fund for the work.
A disused building in Hoglands Park - The Pavilion - is set to be removed in a bid to clear the line of sight in the park.
Part of the plan will also see gates on the loading bay area off Vincent's Walk to prevent the public from entering the secluded area.
This is aimed at tackling drug use in the city and thefts from businesses.
Additional CCTV will also be installed on Vincent's Walk, at the junction of Clifford Street and Golden Grove, and fencing is due to be put in to protect residents in housing off Palmerston Walk and New Front.
Residents in Broad Green reported antisocial behaviour and drug dealing in the centre, which is secluded by trees.
To tackle this, the teams will be managing the vegetation to keep the area clear.
At the Kingsland subway, which leads from the Kingsland Estate to St Marys, two-way gates will be put in to prevent people from being able to flee the police.
Residents who use the city's parks have shared mixed reviews regarding how safe they feel when walking at night.
One woman, from Weston, said she has "always felt safe" in Southampton.
Ella Morris, a 19-year-old carer, told the Echo: "I actually feel quite safe in Southampton, Even at any time of night.
"It makes me feel much better knowing that there are CCTV cameras and lighting. I think the drop in crimes is noticeable, hopefully that continues."
However, others still feel that the parks pose a risk late at night.
Emily Penfold, a 24-year-old health care assistant from Bassett, said: "Regardless of the extra lighting and CCTV, it's still scary walking through these parks at night.
"I'm glad to hear that the numbers have dropped but I think that it could drop more."
Phil Masters, 53, who lives in the city centre, said he thinks there should be more for young people to do in a bid to prevent antisocial behaviour.
He said: "The lighting and cameras are good but we need more stuff for young people to do. They don't have anything to keep them busy other than hanging around in parks and causing trouble.
"If they had a youth club or more activities for them that were available, I reckon there would be a drop in this antisocial behaviour."
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