PORTLAND — Portland Police Chief James Craig held a press conference at 182 Grant St. this morning to announce a concerted effort to rid the area of drug dealers and other criminal activity.

Flanked by elected officials and members of the Community Services initiative, Craig said they will work hard to make the neighborhood safe for residents, most of whom are law-abiding citizens.

The news conference was held in front of an apartment building that had become a magnet for drug users and people drinking in public, police said. Police last month arrested some of the residents and seized crack cocaine heroin and weapons.

Counselor David Marshall said the city and the residents also need to work to improve the neighborhood cleaning up trash and repairing buildings so it does not attract criminal activity.