Story: Lisa Swift
After many complaints from residents of Brunswick Road, Spital Lane and Verdon Street about drug dealing, drug taking and anti-social behaviour, Sheffield Council Housing and South Yorkshire Police organised a joint public meeting on 4th June.
Residents brought complaints about people repeatedly breaking into stairwells and communal area of flats to take drugs. One resident said he had made 50 calls to the 101 hotline to report incidents but he had not had a response from the police.
Neighbours from Verdon Street complained of reporting people hanging around in cars many times since January. They had to pay to replace locks on communal doors that had been broken five times.
One resident on Brunswick Road said they struggled to get past people sitting on the stairs in their block. The door lock had not been fixed for a month and there had been people sleeping on the stairs.
“We are living in fear. It's a daily problem. I'm not looking forward to going home. I ring 101 but I see no improvement.”
Residents from Bressingham were also concerned that, if the temporary camera at the back of the Vestry Hall was moved, problems would return there.
“We had to put up with problems for six years. We don't want that to happen again.”
Some concern was expressed about young people hanging around behind the old housing office. One resident said she had spoken to them and they just wanted something positive to do. People agreed that something positive was needed, as well as police action on criminal activity.
The police explained they prioritise calls. Often, serious incidents or emergency calls mean they can't respond to every call made to 101. Arrests can only be made if drugs are found on a person. However, they also said the more calls they receive, the more time they give to the issue. It was important to keep reporting, even if people felt they had done it before.
In July, the Messenger asked the police to comment on how they had responded to the issues raised in the meeting. Sgt Dean Furniss from the Safer Neighbourhood Team said,
“We have increased our police presence in these areas and, as part of patrols, our officers identify areas of concern – insecure buildings, for example – and refer this on for action.”
“We conduct regular patrols and hold fortnightly meetings, offering residents an opportunity to come and discuss any concerns they may have. We are committed to working with the local community to make Burngreave a safer place to live and work.”
“We would encourage anyone with concerns to report suspicious activity or behaviour to us on 101.”
To find out about the new regular police drop-ins, ask at the Housing Office in Sorby House.