Agenda item

6.1

The Committee received an update from the Safer and Sustainable Communities Partnership with regard to Gun and Knife Crime. Maxine Stavrianakos briefly outlined the aims of the partnership. 

6.2

The Committee also received a presentation on Gun and Knife Crime in Sheffield, which was given by Detective Superintendent Una Jennings, South Yorkshire Police.  DS Jennings stated that the Police were in the process of starting a conversation in homes, hospitals and schools within the city about the prevention of violent crime and that the Police and Councillors, as public servants had a responsibility to continue to keep Sheffield as a safe city.  She referred to the national statistics which showed an increase in high end crime since 2014 and stated that some of the factors for this were changes in crime recording, a decrease in stop and search, a social acceptance, particularly amongst young people, to carry knives, an increase in gang culture and that knives were more readily available in the home and more able to be purchased via the internet.  DS Jennings went on to add that due to sharing information with regard to reported knife related injuries between the Police and the Northern General Hospital, during April and June this year, knife crime had decreased by 2% and she hoped the general public felt confident that something was being done to tackle knife crime.  DS Jennings referred to gun crime data and stated that there had been a significant reduction in gun crime for the same period last year.

6.3

DS Jennings stated that the Police were committed to the early identification of crime by stopping violence before it began.  She said that there was a public health approach to the matter and identified four main principles behind this.  Firstly to define and monitor, by the setting up of a fully co-ordinated team.  Secondly, research was being carried out by Sheffield Hallam University identifying risk and protective factors. The third principal was to test and develop prevention strategies and part of this was the holding of Crime Prevention Workshops for Year 7s in all Sheffield secondary schools to outline the dangers of becoming involved in violent crime and working with Police and Crime Officers.  Lastly, the fourth principal was to assure the public of the widespread adoption of a clear strategy and plan for tackling violent crime.

6.4

Members made various comments and asked a number of questions, to which responses were provided as follows:-

·                     Crime tends to be clustered around deprived areas and it was hoped that the investment in the Neighbourhood Police Teams in such areas would tackle the issues at source.  Sheffield as a whole was not a violent city but there were high levels of deprivation in certain areas.

·                     With regard to Intervention Workers, more would be known in six months’ time when hopefully there would be a clear sense of what was needed to be done to support young people.

·                     There was a strong overlap between murder and knife crime and people had more understanding of this and there was a need to change attitudes, starting in the home.  Parents were now talking to their children more, asking them questions before they walked out of the door.

·                     The statistics for knife crime are that people from their early 20s up to 35 years of age, are involved in some way.  It was felt that to engage children at the age of 10 or 11, or even younger, would go a long way in the prevention of it.

·                     South Yorkshire Police had spoken to 30,000 Year 7 children across the city in hour long assemblies, followed up two weeks later by a 30 minute presentation in classrooms.  It was felt that if this had an impact on this age group, it would be trialled on younger groups.

·                     The long-term strategy was for “Hope not Harm”. Through early intervention, identify those young people who were heading into crime and help to focus through health and well-being and education to help young people realise their self-worth and reach their full potential.

·                     The city had some of the highest exclusion figures in primary schools in the country. There was a responsibility to keep children in school and keep them educated.  The Head of the Inclusion Unit was part of the multi-agency team.

·                     South Yorkshire Police had not seen any trend in acid attacks in the city, but should these happen, they are ready to deal with them.

·                     A study had been carried out on how other cities worldwide identify possible solutions and interventions and it had been established that that Glasgow had the best approach towards dealing with gun and knife crime.

6.5

Chief Superintendent Stuart Barton, District Commander for Sheffield, gave his thanks to The Star newspaper for its campaign against gun and knife crime, to Councillor Jim Steinke, (Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Community Safety) and Maxine Stavrianakos for driving the campaign forward, to DS Una Jennings for her tireless work and presentation to the Committee and assured Members that South Yorkshire Police do have a plan and that the city was in safe hands and are ahead of the game.  He invited Members to visit Shepcote Lane to see first-hand what the Force have put in place.

6.6

The Committee then considered a Report of the Policy and Improvement Officer setting out Scrutiny Project Mandate - full review, for a scrutiny topic of gun and knife crime.

6.7

RESOLVED: That the Committee:-

(a)       thanks Detective Superintendent Una Jennings and Maxine Stavrianakos for their presentation and contribution to the meeting;

(b)       notes the contents of the presentation and the responses to questions;

(c)        agrees the scope of the gun and knife crime review as set out in the Mandate document attached to the report; and

(d)       agrees that a small Steering Group be set up to establish what the focus ought to be on dealing with the issue and report back to the Committee with its findings.