I am Inspector Neil Mutch of South Yorkshire Police and I am the Police Inspector for the Sheffield City Centre Safer Neighbourhood Team. This is the first post under the Central SNT user name and I want to introduce what “Central SNT” is and who it comprises of. I will go on to say what is our intention by joining this forum.

The City Centre Safer Neighbourhood Team is a joint SYP and Sheffield City Council venture. Within our wider team we link very closely with other statutory agencies such SY Fire and Rescue Service for example and voluntary, business and community groups within the City Centre.

However, in addition to myself, the team itself is comprised of 2 Sgts, Julie Morley and Darren Nugent and 15 constables. Of these Sgt Julie Morley and 5 constables are dedicated to dealing with retail crime. There is also a PCSO Supervisor Daran Hill and 8 Police Community Support Officers. In addition the team also includes Sheffield Council’s City Centre Management Team. This is headed by Richard Eyre and includes 22 City Centre Ambassadors. We also have a Safer Neighbourhood Officer which is a key role, linking to the other agencies. At present myself, Julie, Daran and Darren have the ability to post on the forum as we assess it merits.

The area we cover is roughly that within the inner city ring road and we have an active involvement in many aspects of what happens within that area.

We have recognised for some time the value of Sheffield forum as a way gauging opinions about issues within the city centre and are now hoping to enter some of the debates in a constructive way. It is clear that although the number of people living in the city centre is increasing all the time the vast majority of people who come to the centre do not and the forum is one way we can explain some of the things we are doing to a wide range of people.

It is important to note that all are posts will be as representatives of South Yorkshire Police and we are quite free to comment on many things. For example we will happily give information about specific crime trends, clarify police procedures and policies, give overviews of incidents and clarify potential ambiguities in facts about events. However there are certain things we cannot comment on for a variety of reasons. Examples could be:
Live investigation – this may affect the outcome
Complaints of officer conduct – there is a specific route to do this and we can explain that.
Specific incidents, people or premises – people have a right to confidentiality
Personal opinions – we remain representatives of SYP throughout.
Allegations of police corruption( as appeared on one post recently) – again I would be happy to point anyone to the right place to do this – SYP do not tolerate corrupt officers and will investigate any genuine allegation made.
Advice about specific personal issues - this should be done by calling the police or appropriate service.

It is also important to note this is not a way to report a crime there are again, specific ways to do that and we will not be monitoring this site continuously in anyway at all. Our role is to be out of the office as much as possible.

So, the best way to think of this is as though we are at a community meeting because that is what it is. Many members of this forum will form part of the city centre community at some point, whether by working, visiting, shopping, dining out or enjoying the various and numerous attractions the city centre has to offer. We see this as our opportunity to listen to your views and pass on our messages.

Expect to see in the future and we would be very interested in your comments. If this appears successful it may be extended to other neighbourhood teams throughout the city.

I voted yes, a lot of people access forums every day, it could also cause too many problems though, people giving too much information, an officer being at the desk to answer pm's etc.

Let me just say a big welcome to the forum and its good to see people taking notice. And having a legal opinion on some threads would be good for the input we are aware the input will be as followed procedure but keeping your eyes on the ball and feeding back what you are trying to do and achieve shows me that SYP are trying to move forward in their ideas and approach to making sheffield and its centre a better place.

I think this is an excellent idea. There are two of us city councillors posting on here and we have been answering people's very real concerns over the value of PCSOs. Most of the posts are from people who don't have the real facts about what the Safer Neighbourhoods Teams do and how they can be contacted.

We'd all be grateful though if you could keep the posts short and be gentle with those who have a rant. Mostly they have just cause.... and the moderators do a superb job of filtering out the trolls.

Good luck.

Firstly I commend you that you are trying to make the city centre a lot safer. I think now is the time to put an end to the unnecessary violence that has become so common in the town centre at night time. I think prevention is the cure and I would be in favour of a police officer on every front door of every bar and night club, at the expense of the establishment. I think this would cut down the violence dramatically as people have no respect for door men. Also stiffer fines and sentences for public disturbances need to be in order.

I would like to see one for the shiregreen area for sure as I know the guys round here do a sterling job even against all trouble they have to deal with.

Hi there!

Welcome aboard, and thanks for a most informative post!

Unsurprisingly, I voted yes. :)

:wave: welcome to the forum officers.. :D

Could I suggest this may also be useful for the other safer neighbourhood teams too. Perhaps you could point them in our direction?

Thanks for the positive early reponses, I will now try to keep things brief although i have no idea what "trolls" are int his context!

As for PCSOs I beleive they will bring real benefits to communities. The sad fact is that demands for police officers are constantly increasing, PCSOs ( and other aspects of the wider police family such as Ambassadors and wardens) will increase contact with communities and bring their concerns directly into our organisational awareness. The limitation in their powers compared to police officers actually means their accessibility is increased and they do their role by their visibility and accessibility on the streets. I have been very impressed with how they work on our team and as their numbers increase so will the benefits.

Welcome to the forum, I voted yes too. I'm sure you'll find the forum a useful tool for communicating with the people of Sheffield and it should complement existing methods.

I voted no.

I welcome the police being involved in the forum but I don't like the idea of too much new technology being used to get feedback. When something goes wrong we want instant help and a visit from the police in time to do something about it. What seems to happen is that new systems are put in place (for example 101) which log and gather information but never quickly enough to catch the offenders. I am not for a minute suggesting that the police themselves are responsible for this situation, but I would like to see them turn up straight away and get feedback by talking to me, face to face. Of course I have negated my argument to some extent by actually giving feedback using new technology in this post!

Hello!!! :wave:

I said yes too!!

Thanks for the positive early reponses, I will now try to keep things brief although i have no idea what "trolls" are int his context!



Think of them as folks who specialise in electronic 'breaches of the peace'. :)

Every online community has them, but we try and keep them under control.

I think it's an excellent way of opening up the lines of communication between communities and the Police.

During the area assemblies that I attend, those present really get to see how people working in partnership can effect real change in communities.

Any fora that facilitates a similar process is welcomed by me.

We work closely with our SN team up here and have a community safety group.

Really useful to have the opportunity to address issues directly and get feedback on current initiatives. :thumbsup:

When something goes wrong we want instant help and a visit from the police in time to do something about it.

I don't think the involvement of Central SNT is intended to supplant the regular forms of contacting the police. There hasn't been any suggestion that the PM system will replace 999!

I think it's a great way of building links between the police and the wider community and it should increase police awareness of the issues that matter to the wide range of people who post on here.

Great big YES from me! :thumbsup:

I think this is a great developement, I can see advantages for all once everyone gets used to it.

(I have of course edited my post under the 'would you turn bent' thread) :P

What a great idea! We need more ways to contact the police etc and sometimes a quick call leaves you on hold for ages as you are put through to the correct department or person. We now have the technology in place so we can at least contact you to let you know our views etc!

I think this is a good idea. Thank you for offering to take the time to do this, I hope it works out to everyone's benefit. It's so important for people to feel that they are being informed and being listened to, and this is a step in the right direction.
Welcome.

I don't think the involvement of Central SNT is intended to supplant the regular forms of contacting the police. There hasn't been any suggestion that the PM system will replace 999!


I wasn't suggesting that. I am suggesting that the increase in technology can mean a decrease in face to face contact. If someone causes criminal damage, for example, then having a forum where we say we are sick of criminal damage is pointless. What we need is for the police to turn up immediately and catch one of them at it.

I wasn't suggesting that. I am suggesting that the increase in technology can mean a decrease in face to face contact. If someone causes criminal damage, for example, then having a forum where we say we are sick of criminal damage is pointless. What we need is for the police to turn up immediately and catch one of them at it.

Sorry Ken, I was being a bit facetious.

The point I was trying to make in the second half of my post was that the police will now have an additional channel through which they can become aware of anti-social behaviour such as criminal damage. The existing routes of letting them know about such things should obviously still be available but this Forum may help to raise their awareness in situations where they may not have been contacted officially. It also may help to demonstrate the strength of feeling about issues which they may otherwise have dismissed as trivial.

Sorry Ken, I was being a bit facetious.

The point I was trying to make in the second half of my post was that the police will now have an additional channel through which they can become aware of anti-social behaviour such as criminal damage. The existing routes of letting them know about such things should obviously still be available but this Forum may help to raise their awareness in situations where they may not have been contacted officially. It also may help to demonstrate the strength of feeling about issues which they may otherwise have dismissed as trivial.

I am sure you are right but they might also form the view that people are all bothered about one type of event when really it is just that those with strong views make more of a fuss. I am fed up with illegal motorbikes and make a big fuss as do several others. You could interpret this as "the people of Sheffield are fed up with illegal bikes" or that "a handful of people with nothing better to do than surf the net are making too much fuss out of a minor issue".

I think that any agency wanting to use views gained from a forum should question how representative that forum is. I think it is far less representative than the users themselves might think, at least if you look at the main active members. We have a much higher than normal percentage of right wing extremists for a start, and then several people who think they are witches. A tiny proporton of people in Sheffield home-school their children and yet on another thread we can see that a few of the active forum members do.

I would just like to clairfy the fact that our involvment in the forum is not to take report of crimes or respond to particular incidents. the weblink will provide information as to how that can be done.

Our involvement is an additional way of communicating with a wide number of people about city centre issues in general. I think the comment in post 21 about giving us an opportunity to weigh up the strength of feeling about an issue is very valid. We have done this for some time anyway so the natural extention of that is to contribute to relevant debates from our professional point of view.

On a technical note our account is not configured to take PMs, or so i am told.

the Point of them being here is for them to keep us informed of what is happening and what they are doing and what they are intending to do. I dont expect to put a rant on about some one doing something illegal and expect the police to read it and follow up would be nice but not time effective.

Its all about keeping us in the know and thats always a good thing.

the Point of them being here is for them to keep us informed of what is happening and what they are doing and what they are intending to do. I dont expect to put a rant on about some one doing something illegal and expect the police to read it and follow up would be nice but not time effective.

Its all about keeping us in the know and thats always a good thing.

I thought they were talking about informing the public and then getting feedback as well? Clearly I know it wasn't about individual crimes, but I had assumed that "feedback" would mean several people banging on (me included!) about some general issue of anti-social behaviour such as illegal motorbikes or grafitti.

I thought they were talking about informing the public and then getting feedback as well? Clearly I know it wasn't about individual crimes, but I had assumed that "feedback" would mean several people banging on (me included!) about some general issue of anti-social behaviour such as illegal motorbikes or grafitti.

Perhaps, seeing as you're aware of it, you could keep your 'banging on' down and instead attempt to achieve a useful two-way communication, by providing useful, focussed feedback?

I think we all have a responsibility if we would like to see this work and not degenerate into a free-for-all to try and keep it on track and not try to hijack it to bang our own drums or harp on about individual grudges with the Police. (I currently have one, and see how reasonable I am being, lol). This could be a helpful tool to aid better understanding between the police and the public, therefore helping us to help them serve us better. IYSWIM

Perhaps, seeing as you're aware of it, you could keep your 'banging on' down and instead attempt to achieve a useful two-way communication, by providing useful, focussed feedback?


To be honest, the fact that I know what my character is, doesn't mean I will change it. If I feel strongly about something then I will keep banging on about it. I don't mean grudges against the police, I have no grudges and think they do a wonderful job, I really mean that when one of my pet subjects crops up I feel the urge to go on at length. Sorry.

I think its a good idea. Any form of communication that raises awareness is a plus. There are lots of people who post on this forum who care about the communities they live in, and a wider understanding of what PCSOs do should be helpful. I'm glad also that some councillors are regular posters to and readers of the forum, in fact I wish a few more were! As a gauge of public opinion (obviously not the only one) the forum has a real part to play in Sheffield.

I voted no.

I welcome the police being involved in the forum but I don't like the idea of too much new technology being used to get feedback. When something goes wrong we want instant help and a visit from the police in time to do something about it. What seems to happen is that new systems are put in place (for example 101) which log and gather information but never quickly enough to catch the offenders. I am not for a minute suggesting that the police themselves are responsible for this situation, but I would like to see them turn up straight away and get feedback by talking to me, face to face. Of course I have negated my argument to some extent by actually giving feedback using new technology in this post!But.... Many people don't feel comfortable with the police, and I don't just mean the section of the community have reason not to! A presence like this on a forum such as this is an opportunity for the police to become part of what we already regard as an important Sheffield community, making them more approachable for more people in the future (and hopefully put some people off advertising the proceeds of burglaries or bootleg media here :D )

I understand how this account is supposed to function, but I do think it may be worth exploring the activation of the PM system in the future - though we all know there are bound to be some people banned as a result ;) I'm sure that this presence here would result in people wanting to ask 'who do I contact about...' etc, and would feel comfortable doing this via a forum, but wouldn't do so by picking up the phone

This is a welcome innovation and the police are to be applauded.

Can I send my regards to Sgnt Julie Morley, (even though we bumped into each other in the city centre the other day). :wave:

I believe I introduced Julie to the forum when I provided her with a link to a discussion about policing activities in Arbourthorne. Sorry we lost you from my local SNA Julie, but I know you are now doing valuable work in the City Centre SNA. :thumbsup:

By the way Julie, the nickname that you and Christian gave me has stuck with my fellow councillors! Yep, I'm still getting called robbocop! :rolleyes:

Red

i voted yes too, great idea :thumbsup: must say i walked to Hartley Brook shops the other week at tea time with my little one and saw 2 officers walking the beat, was good to see, and no gangs were outside the shops :)

Hello, welcome aboard.

As part of the Neighbourhood Watch there was supposed to be a ring system if anything happened and a message would be sent out to all the co-ordinators. The ring system never really worked in our area but this could be even better.

Which area is this in?

I'm not aware of a Neighbourhood Watch scheme in the city centre.

Welcome aboard, I voted yes although my mum said i couldn't swear infront of police officers so I'm going to have to clean my posts up.
I think it's a fantastic idea and a great way of getting the police and the general public back on the same side. (I live in a very us and them area).

Hi and thanks for joining us :)
I voted "No" - this may be because I am not understanding your poll question properly. If by communicating you mean that you will join in the forum as an "official" police voice, then I welcome your involvement. If you mean that you will use the Forum as a primary means of passing information to the public, then I feel that this would disadvantage the majority of the Sheffield population who are not aware of the Forum and/or would not have the means to access it on a regular basis, if at all. Could you maybe clarify the poll question?

I voted yes, i think it`s a good idea, i tend to get very involved in what i`m doing most days and rarely have time for telly or newspapers, most of the news i read about is on here or in comments from colleagues so i welcome it with open arms.

Glad to see SNt are trying to communicate in all areas, however for once I will keep my thoughts on South Yorkshires Finest to my self . as I like the young lady on newsnight 7/3/07 fear for my safety when I see our boys in Blue

Hi, Neil, and welcome to SF. I voted yes, of course. :thumbsup: