I don't know the official standpoint or amount of resources etc... but for as long as I can remember I think i've only seen a couple of coppers walking around areas (cept round city centre) in 20 years!

Does this even happen anymore? what about all these 'special constables' and such?.. is our police force SO undermanned that we cant spare them anymore?

I think our streets need a pressence and the officers need to be given more power to help out with the crazy situation this country seems to be in with scummy kids and teenagers running riot because they know they can get away with anything.

(heres maybe a daft idea....how about security companies looking after given areas?.. you pay them a monthly fee .... like for hire bouncers/bodyguards :hihi: )

In Wadsley we used to have a local policeman who walked around and knew everyone, he lived near the church, but that is at least 30 years ago - possibly more.

Last summer I did see two policemen walking down our road together on two occassions - the first time since the old copper retired.

the police seem more of a 'clean up crew' then prevention.... well they do to me anyway

I've seen police on horses on my road at 2 in the morning. Why? No idea. The place was deserted. Nice to have them around nonetheless. :huh:

We have then on foot, on mountain bikes, and in cars

Occasionally we have a riot van loitering about :suspect:

Oh, and every time the helicopter gets airborne, it seems to pass over our way :roll: (we're rather close to it's launch pad though, and on the way to the M1 and beyond)

A couple of plastic policemen once in a blue moon.
See the 'copter loads of times but that's sod all use.

There's one copper that stands next to Scandals on the roundabout in Chapeltown most mornings about 7.50am when I pass by. Don't know what he's doing there and I'm not sure he does either...

We do if a car as ran out of tax.Or if kids are playing footy on grass but otherwise we dont see any

we have seen them a few tyms round our area but i think its mailnly due to kids on motorbikes there after

I don't know the official standpoint or amount of resources etc... but for as long as I can remember I think i've only seen a couple of coppers walking around areas (cept round city centre) in 20 years!

Does this even happen anymore? what about all these 'special constables' and such?.. is our police force SO undermanned that we cant spare them anymore?

I think our streets need a pressence and the officers need to be given more power to help out with the crazy situation this country seems to be in with scummy kids and teenagers running riot because they know they can get away with anything.

(heres maybe a daft idea....how about security companies looking after given areas?.. you pay them a monthly fee .... like for hire bouncers/bodyguards :hihi: )

I moved into my house last August & since then I've seen a Police patrol on foot once. It would be common sense to have police actually out catching people rather than filling in forms, but since when has common sense had anything to do with running this country? :hihi:

Cop car now and again.

Mind you, when I was a kid in a village near Donny 40 odd years ago we never saw police on the beat either.

I tend to think police "on the beat" is largely a myth.

Quite a simple answer to this....

How effective is a police officer on foot as opposed to one in a car?

To be effective on foot, an incident would have to happen right in front of them for them to be any use. In a car, they can respond to incidents all around the city.

Yes, its nice to see one walking down your street. But would you rather have that or know that should you ever 'really' need one in a hurry, they'd be there is less than 10 mins?

You are quite right Johnny8977....
Times have changed, and coppers on the "beat" can do little else than radio in to HQ if they see ow't...exactly the same as us ringing in.

That said.....I saw two of them patrolling our streets this evening.

not on the beat as such, but they just caught a burgler on our street tonight - responded within minutes.

We live in Stocksbridge......and some forum members give the area a right slating! BUT.....we have never had any trouble on our road until last weekend. Our neighbours van got broken into! We have lived here for 20+ years now......10 years at this address. The van break in is the first incident of crime that we know about. They were caught red handed as well. It was the early hours of the morning when it happened, and apparantly the local bobbie's were doing their rounds at the time. Yey yey.....well done lads. They didn't actually catch them because they legged it......but they got their vehicle.....no doubt it was stolen for the purpose of robbing! Result... never the less.
In all honesty......I do hear about the local disturbances at pub turn out time etc, but we are very lucky to live in an area which seems to pretty crime free. Maybe it is just where we live......but I thank God that we do live on a good road which seems not to be bothered by much scrote activity/crime.

Very rarely. Was surprised to see 4 cops on mountain bikes a couple of weeks ago.

More police on the beat means less crime - proven.

I would love to see more out and about - especially in the problem areas and at the problem times.

They need to be out there being proactive and not just turning up after the event.

It's a reduction in crime we need, not an increase in detection rates..

If you want proof of how ineffective policing is these days try calling them if you see a huge fight.

My money says they take their time getting there and deal with it after the event rather than getting in there splitting it up and stopping it before someone gets hurt.

A couple of plastic policemen once in a blue moon.
See the 'copter loads of times but that's sod all use.

your lucky at least you get plastic ones,in our neck of the woods we don't even get them ,we have to rely on COMMUNITY WARDENS who have no real power at all and from my experience have little or no deterrent effect either :rant: :rant: :loopy:

Very rarely. Was surprised to see 4 cops on mountain bikes a couple of weeks ago.
I saw them as well,I think it was a publicity stunt for a new scheme.I don't suppose we will see them again,4 for Sheffield not many is it.

There are always loads of police in Hillsborough - when there is a Wednesday home match! Otherwise, we do see & hear police cars from Hammerton Road, but they always seem to be racing somewhere else. Thats probably a good thing, means things aren't too bad here (apart from low level vandalism, which seems to be the preferred leisure activity in lots of areas!)

Oh for those heady days of PC 'Walt' Disney and his purple and white bicycle.

"Nah then lads. Ahm wetchin thee. Ahll be back iggen in ayf an 'our an if tha't still theer tha'll be gerrin a clip. Ah knows weer tha lives, tha knows!!" :hihi:

good news as from next week you should see more uniforms around hills wisewood /stannington/Winn gardens/upperthorpe out on foot. As 3 more arrive on wednesday PCSO's that is, some of you i know think that they are plastic but they are looking forward to meeting the community.
If you see one just go and say hello.you never know it might change your mind about them.After all they have took the job to try and help people.

Quite a simple answer to this....

How effective is a police officer on foot as opposed to one in a car?

To be effective on foot, an incident would have to happen right in front of them for them to be any use. In a car, they can respond to incidents all around the city.

Yes, its nice to see one walking down your street. But would you rather have that or know that should you ever 'really' need one in a hurry, they'd be there is less than 10 mins?

its more a deterrent then anything, if someone is thinking of robbing a house, putting thru a window or starting a fight they are less likely to do it if they know police walk around and could come round the corner. Cars are effective for catching...but walking around is effective on letting people know there is someone about.

iv seen none for ages on the beat...see plenty when the football match is on at hillsbrough

they say no funds to patroll bad areas but in the 60s-70s you allways saw em on the beat now they got cars..i know you carnt bring the past back....but we are in the 21 century ..and its like the 17th-18th century with crime..robbings..claim on the insurance all they say.....no wonder its going to pot

Ive seen police around waterthorpe on the beat on a few occasions,but its always in the day time, when kids are locked up at school.Never see them in the evenings though.

There are always loads of police in Hillsborough - when there is a Wednesday home match!

That's because the football club has to pay for them to be there.


Funny thing about this is there are no officials on duty in many places nowadays where there once was before. Bus conductors, park keepers etc. They must have done a great deal to prevent petty crime, by just being there. The city ambassadors in town seem to have this role though, which helps prevent grafitti and litter around the new spaces in town.

I have seen quite a few police people walking on our estate.

It is a nice feeling of being safe if I wanted to go to the local shops. Knowing that the police are about has also kept the area quieter.

They also come in cars but still it is a good thing just to show a presence now and again.

Not seen many round here (callow flats) but have seen one on a bike regularly where my friend lives at Batemoor.

Police on the beat just move the problem somewhere else. I appreciate it that the police can respond as quickly as they have on the few occasions I have had to call them out.

3 burglaries plus I reported someone moaning in pain and there was a response car there within 5 minutes. Bit difficult for them to do when strolling around on foot.

We had a tennants ass. letter a few days ago and at the bottom it said if we had any problems there was Pc whoever accompanied by 3 support officers.
Never seen any of them.

even if you had police on the beat it would make no differance because of the total lack of respect in the youth of today when we saw a copper you were affraid he tell your dad because you would get a clip of him know they just tell him to f off

There are always loads of police in Hillsborough - when there is a Wednesday home match! Otherwise, we do see & hear police cars from Hammerton Road, but they always seem to be racing somewhere else. Thats probably a good thing, means things aren't too bad here (apart from low level vandalism, which seems to be the preferred leisure activity in lots of areas!)

Yes, loads of police vans, police, dogs on match days. Also helicopters hovering around Hillsborough & Stannington when theres footie on.

i live in Lowedges and recently i've seen LOADS of 'special' constables roaming the streets, "public relations exercise" apparently!! Oh yeah, and the police helicopter spent 10 mins watchin me clean me bike the other day! LOL

Seem to hear sirens every ten minutes but never see any on foot.

i live in Lowedges and recently i've seen LOADS of 'special' constables roaming the streets, "public relations exercise" apparently!! Oh yeah, and the police helicopter spent 10 mins watchin me clean me bike the other day! LOL

if it was on monday, there was a gunpoint robberry and hammer attack, there was even armed police around, im surprised it hasn't been mentioned yet

Not seen Police "On The Beat" in my leafy suburb for at least 10 years! Have they got some paperwork to do back at the office? :rolleyes:

More police on the beat means less crime - proven.

I would love to see more out and about - especially in the problem areas and at the problem times.

They need to be out there being proactive and not just turning up after the event.

It's a reduction in crime we need, not an increase in detection rates..

If you want proof of how ineffective policing is these days try calling them if you see a huge fight.

My money says they take their time getting there and deal with it after the event rather than getting in there splitting it up and stopping it before someone gets hurt.

More Police on the street does not equal fewer crimes, if anything the crime rate will stay the same but the time it takes for the officers to deal with them will go up.

Having a visible presence usually make people FEEL better about the area and result in one of two things: 1 the area is safe because there is a uniformed presence or 2 this area is a problem because the police are about but they still feel safe knowing the a unformed presence is about.

There is a probability theory that if a community officer were to patrol on foot in a given beat area, the chances of him actually coming across a crime taking place such as a burglary, is about once in every seven years! The chances of that officer walking down that street out of the thousands of streets in the beat at the same time as a thief was breaking in to one house/business out of the hundreds on that road is similar to winning the lottery.

You say you never see an officer patrolling but how long does it take you to walk to the end of the road to the shop 5-min? 10 min? Think about all the times you are in your house getting on with stuff pottering about, watching corrie or enders. Would you notice an officer walking past? Or do you spend 24 hours a day looking out your windows twitching the curtains? You assume the postman, bin man or milkman has been because they leave something to show they have been but if a police officer is just walking down your road what are they going to do? Leave a calling card?

I have see the cycle cop quite a few times (the one on the push bike with the tight shorts) but its often the helicopter that you hear.

I am more surprised & take notice these days when I do see a beat bobby than when I see or hear scummy chavvy inbreds disturbing the peace/ upto no good.

Sadly my rate of such surprise is very few & far between. :(

More Police on the street does not equal fewer crimes, if anything the crime rate will stay the same but the time it takes for the officers to deal with them will go up.

Having a visible presence usually make people FEEL better about the area and result in one of two things: 1 the area is safe because there is a uniformed presence or 2 this area is a problem because the police are about but they still feel safe knowing the a unformed presence is about.

There is a probability theory that if a community officer were to patrol on foot in a given beat area, the chances of him actually coming across a crime taking place such as a burglary, is about once in every seven years! The chances of that officer walking down that street out of the thousands of streets in the beat at the same time as a thief was breaking in to one house/business out of the hundreds on that road is similar to winning the lottery.

You say you never see an officer patrolling but how long does it take you to walk to the end of the road to the shop 5-min? 10 min? Think about all the times you are in your house getting on with stuff pottering about, watching corrie or enders. Would you notice an officer walking past? Or do you spend 24 hours a day looking out your windows twitching the curtains? You assume the postman, bin man or milkman has been because they leave something to show they have been but if a police officer is just walking down your road what are they going to do? Leave a calling card?

stick them on gennels 24/7 rather than 9-5 and they should catch at least one a day in some areas

All i have seen in the 2 and half months is community support officers i have not seen any police about even though i only live up the road fron the police station in killamarsh.

Get used to it - thats all you will see from now on.

I would be interested to know how many people using the forum have been the victim of a crime that realistically could have been prevented by a bobby on foot patrol? The government has decided that Community Support officers are what we have having on our streets for public reassurrance by way of hi-visibility patrols, so chances are, you won't see a bobby. I am sure there is a reason for this - perhaps so that the bobbies have time to complete all the repetitive pieces of paper they have to do. Or drink tea and eat cake (just watched Hot Fuzz at the cinema!)

Sheffield is now divided into 10 Safer Neighbourhood Areas (SNAs). In the two areas with which I am most familiar, Community Police Support Officers (CPSOs) are now regularly patrolling the streets and parks. They have also attended meetings of the local Tenant's and Resident's Association, Area Panel, and various community organisations.

These CPSOs are engaging with their local communities, becoming a familiar sight on the streets, and are digesting information obtained from the public about incidents of anti-social behaviour, and any hot-spots where they occur.

There is a daily police tasking meeting, where such information is shared, and police operations are then set up to tackle the reported problems. I have witnessed at first hand how the police are now responding to these reports. I have been on patrol with police officers at night, who have set up 'stings', and successfully apprehended culprits causing nuisance in a particular location.

Some of these police officers are out and about on foot, dressed in civilian clothes, and some are in unmarked cars. But just because you don't see the police in uniform or in a marked police car, doesn't mean they are not out and about. Indeed, far from it.

The Safer Neighbourhood Teams are headed by an Inspector, and include a Sargeant, police officers, PCSOs, a Crime Reduction Officer, and a council-employed community safety officer. One police officer is based at the local secondary school. The SNAs work closely with Area Panels, and in my own area, we have undertaken joint walkabouts. These have led to various initiatives, including the erection of barriers to deter illegal off road motorbikes, improvements to lighting in a shopping area, community clean-ups, and funding for youth activities. The fire service have also come on board, and provided funds for bring out your rubbish days in areas prone to arson attacks.

The SNA have also assisted in setting up a Crime & Safety Panel at the local college. I have agreed to chair a local SNA Community Safety Partnership, which is identifying community safety priorities and taking action to address those issues. There are now plans by the SNA in my area to form a Trader's Association, which will hopefully lead to increased security for business premises.

When a small housing estate in my area was subjected to a spate of car break-ins and burglaries, the Area Panel organised a joint walkabout with various council oficers and the SNA team. As a result, an area of overgrown woodland has been cut back, (as the thieves were hiding in the bushes), and every householder received a visit from the Crime Reduction Officer with advice on making their homes and cars more secure. PCSO foot patrols were arranged, and the police continue to visit the area in unmarked cars.

Very shortly, the SNA will conduct a more extensive exercise in a hot-spot area, including a home visit to every householder on the street, in addition to a raft of other measures designed to make the locals feel more secure - as well as giving out a message to the trouble makers that the police are onto them.

I have recently delivered 3,000 anti-social behaviour survey letters from the MP and myself, which also contains advice on when to ring the new 101 number. I am now collating the replies and will be meeting with the police to discuss the results of the survey. This survey will help inform the two SNAs which cover my council ward on what the policing priorities are for my constituents.

Each month, the SNAs hold a Neighbourhood Action Group, where community representatives, church and mosque leaders, Streetforce, Highways, Parks & Countryside, Sheffield Homes, Sheffield Futures, Housing Associations, schools, Area Panel and ward councillors meet together. We look at a range of issues, including reports of fly tipping, graffiti, illegal off-road biking, anti-social behaviour, disengaged young people hanging about the streets, low level crime, and other problems. We agree an action list, and which organisation is responsible for co-ordinating the actions to be taken. At the following monthly meeting, reports are then received on the outcome of that action, and if any further steps are needed to address the problems.

The various council departmets, fire service & community organisations are working closely with our Safer Neighbourhood Area teams, and together we are beginning to make a difference in making our local communities safer.