I walk down to Ecclesall Road from Broomhill every day, following the back roads (Broomgrove etc). Every morning, from up in Broomhill, all the way down to Ecclesall Road there is a new sprinkling of broken glass from car windows about every 20 yards. Sometimes you have to crunch through the stuff just to get past. Clearly there's a lot of car crime up in this area.

Two days ago I was walking along Ecclesall Road, and there was a police motorcyle stopping and questioning drivers at (what seemed like) random, and handing out tickets. I assume it was for bus lane infringements.

Surely the police would do their own public image much more good if they did something about the blatant car crime occuring at a constant rate, rather than the significantly less society-detrimental activity that is driving in a bus lane?

my brother caught some little scroat breaking in to a Range Rover on Trippet lane a few weeks ago, chased him all the way on to west street before he caught him.
He was helped by a passer by who placed his right foot on his head!!!!!!

Before the police turned up, the little s*** was going on that it was the only way he could afford to eat, "it was all these asylum seekers taking our jobs"
When that didnt work he became violent & abusive, at which point he somehow hurt his face & head on the wall behind him!!!!!!

The police have since been in contact, he was wanted in conection with over 100 thefts!!!!!!
Well at least the poor dear had somewhere warm to spend xmas,
Doncaster prison!!

I understand that the Policemen assigned to bus lane enforcement are working overtime subsidised by the bus companies. So it may not be quite as simple as asking them to police the crime-ridden side roads instead. If it's as bad as you say, and (importantly) the crimes are being reported, it may be worth asking the Police what steps actually are being taken to prevent it.
One of the simplest steps I've found to stop my oft-broken-into car from getting broken into again is not to leave anything of value inside it, and leave the glovebox empty and open so they can see the front of the stereo isn't there.

I agree that simple steps such as keeping valuables out of sight is vital. My car was 'done' twice in as many weeks, and since then my glove box is always open, stereo always with me, and not even a CD in sight. Touch wood, I've had no problems since.
I suppose it's one of those problems that in an ideal world would get sorted in a logical manner. My only guess is that, if the crimes are being reported, the police are simply not connecting them and seeing the bigger picture. On top of that, as an observer rather than a victim, am I in a position to start asking questions?

Fresh broken glass count this morning -

2

My friends stereo was stolen last week near the Hallam Pearson building (on one of the roads above ecclesall road).

My brother in law was stopped by the police on City road recently.

No not because he was speeding or had done anything wrong. They noticed he had a sat nav on his windscreen and in an effort to deter car crime the officers postcoded his unit whilst he waited.

No doubt to the onlooker it was a case of another speeding motorist with the police having nothing better to do !!!

Officers looking at vehicles in Drakehouse / Crystal Peaks are sending letters to registered owners advising them not to leave valuables in the car as an invitation to thieves.

No doubt to the onlooker another case of officers with nothing better to do than looking for out of date tax discs!!!

Police are seeing the bigger picture and many things are been done to catch car thieves but may not be as obvious as the bus lane cop who after all is trying to keep traffic moving in the city -Remember the comments made recently when thousand of people were held up with inconsiderate drivers ignoring the rules of the road.

come on guys give a little credit when deserved :thumbsup:

if the people who buy "knocked off" gear to sell on were stopped, then the numbers would go down!!!! While ever there are people buying stolen goods, the thieving little gits will supply them!! e-bay & the free ads has a lot to do with it, it's so easy to sell things cheap, & everybody wants a bargin!!!!!

Had my car broken into last night, I'd only been home from work for half an hour, so one broken window to fix!

Thing is, nothing was on view, radio front removed etc etc, they broke in and just looked in glove box. They obviously thought I was daft enough to leave the radio front in it.

That's why it's a good idea to leave the glovebox open - the scroats can see that you're not daft enough to leave the stereo in there. If they can't see in there, they figure the odds are good and break in anyway.

To be honest I usually do, First time in ages that I haven't left it open (due to previous cars being broken in to).

Just about my luck actually!

Officers looking at vehicles in Drakehouse / Crystal Peaks are sending letters to registered owners advising them not to leave valuables in the car as an invitation to thieves.

No doubt to the onlooker another case of officers with nothing better to do than looking for out of date tax discs!!!

Police are seeing the bigger picture and many things are been done to catch car thieves but may not be as obvious as the bus lane cop who after all is trying to keep traffic moving in the city -Remember the comments made recently when thousand of people were held up with inconsiderate drivers ignoring the rules of the road.

come on guys give a little credit when deserved :thumbsup:

Theyve written to me twice about valuables in my car. The "valuables" are a few classic rock cassettes that you cant even sell at a car boot for 20p, which makes me smile! I havent upgraded to a cd because I dont want my car broken into. I know they are putting over a serious message, but honestly, do you think a battered version of Led Zeppelin 2 on cassette has some hidden value?

PS I dont leave my glove box open because it has a light in it. I thought it might flatten the battery.

20p is 20p less to find for your next 'hit'.

You can take the bulb out of your glovebox. I don't mean to harp on about it, but honestly since we started leaving it open our car has been broken into far less often (luckily with the Bullet they don't break the glass - just stick a screwdriver in the lock and twist).

You do have to sympathise with the Police. I know a few bobbies and they would all agree that they'd much rather be out there catching thieves and drug peddlers than running camera traps which persecute law-abiding tax payers for safely driving at 46mph in a 40 limit on an empty dual carriageway in clear conditions, but, and it’s a big but, their Chief Constables are driven by the Home Office to achieve ridiculous targets of solved crimes, and one of the only ways they can meet those targets is to go for the ‘easy hits’ of knobbling the poor motorist again and again. I won’t even go into pulling patrol cars off the road and replacing them with more cameras . . . .

When the copper is lecturing you at the side of the road, and reminding that speed kills (when you’re a handful of mph over an artificially low limit, arbitrarily chosen by some inept town planner (which Sheffield has in abundance)), he’s almost certainly thinking he’d rather be doing a real policing job but he has to go through the motions – it would be unprofessional of him not to.

Under funding and ill-conceived targets (which also apply to education and the NHS) have hamstrung the Police.

Next time your car is broken into, a relative mugged or somebody’s teenage son or daughter in a real mess with drugs, just thank the Home Secretary for what he’s done to the Constabularies.

^
Correct.

I walk down to Ecclesall Road from Broomhill every day, following the back roads (Broomgrove etc). Every morning, from up in Broomhill, all the way down to Ecclesall Road there is a new sprinkling of broken glass from car windows about every 20 yards.

Mmmmm...... anyone else see a pattern forming here, is this a cry for help? something you want to get off your chest?

Just kidding, it can be infuriating cant it.