Police have pledged to carry out more patrols to crackdown on drug dealers in notorious Gloucester suburbs.
Brazen cannabis use is a concern for Tredworth residents and officers have vowed to make tackling this a priority in coming months.
There have been around 15 reports of alleged drug offences in the last three months – the equivalent to around one per week.
Gloucester City councillor Saj Patel (C, Barton and Tredworth) said more officers will be relocated to Barton Street police station which will help bring offenders to justice.
He said: "I welcome the news that the police are continuing to treat the drugs trade issue seriously and are tackling it head on. Their efforts over the past five years especially has helped reduce the drug dealing problem dramatically in the area.
"To put the statistics into context, 15 reports in three months is just over one incident a week. Nonetheless, that is still 15 reports too many. But having personally received written confirmation from the chief constable Suzette Davenport that more police officers will soon to be relocated to Barton Street police station, I have one simple message for the drug dealers and criminals - stop now or you'll be behind bars sooner than you think.
"May I also stress that drugs is not a Barton and Tredworth phenomenon as is often unfairly portrayed in the media, but it is a city wide, county wide, national and worldwide problem."
In October last year, many residents called for action to crack down on pushers of drugs, including cannabis, ecstasy and cocaine on Morpeth Street and Tredworth High Street.
Residents claimed that deals were being done around the clock in notorious areas across Tredworth and officers were doing little to tackle it.
One resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said: "If people want to smoke cannabis that's up to them, but they appear so open about it and don't seem to worry about being caught. I was stood at a cash machine once and there were people stood behind me smoking it. It would only take a police officer to walk by and catch them in the act because the smell is so pungent."
Officers have vowed to make tackling drug use a priority. Between November last year and February this year, police received 15 reports relating to drug activity in the Tredworth area but not all resulted in an arrest.
PCSO Stuart Hopkins, for Barton and Tredworth, said: "The policing priorities we mentioned at the Tredworth Estate Tenants and Residents' Association (TETRA) meeting are set by community panel members and agreed by the local policing team.
"It would be fair to say that most issues raised at the meetings are based on public perception and are not always necessarily fact, but if these issues are causing concern or distress to the public then we are happy to investigate and hopefully resolve a problem using a mix of educational initiatives and enforcement powers.
"The work around this issue has only just begun and we hope by the end of this quarter to be in a better position to produce more accurate statistical information."
Residents have welcomed news that more will be done to tackle this ongoing issues.
Pat Scannell, chairman of TETRA, said: "There is a need for a patrolling in this area. We did have a problem with bikes which the police sorted out very efficiently. We do see police presence in the area, but not as much as it used to be."
In August last year, officers gave an offender a drugs possession warning following an incident near Pembury Road. In December, officers investigated the possession, supply and production of drugs in High Street, Tredworth.
