Page Hall problems getting worse "every minute," warns community leader
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Nasar Raoof, vice chair of Firth Park Neighbourhood Network, told police that Page Hall's problems are "getting worse every minute, every hour of every day".
Mr Raood listed a number of issues, including drugs, gangs, underage prostitution and grooming, brawls, and breaches of covid-19 guidelines, and called for South Yorkshire Police to implement a public spaces protection order.
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Hide AdIn his letter submitted to today's meeting of the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Comissoner's Public Accountability Board, he wrote: "Every authority has given us promises to help turn Page Hall around and have failed. When will we get a zero tolerance approach to policing and heavy enforcement action against the criminals that are making the lives of our most vulnerable suicidal?"
Tim Forber, Assistant Chief Constable at South Yorkshire Police told the virtual meeting that the northeast neighbourhood policing team who are responsible for policing in Page Hall, will be bolstered by an additional eight PCs and a sargent.
In addition to the four sargents, 20 PCs and 13 PCSOs that police Burngreave, a separate team of officers will be created specifically to police Page Hall.
He added that the "vast majority" of incidents in the area relate to anti-social behaviour, and many are rooted in overcrowding and environmental issues.
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Hide AdACC Forber added that other issues such as poor quality accommodation, litter and exposed drains led to a "raft" of environmental problems that "engender" anti-social behaviour problems.
He said that within 48 hours of the lockdown being announced in March, every address was leafleted, setting out what the restrictions were, in both English and Slovak.
According to a report presented to the meeting, Page Hall was a key area of demand for the Neighbourhood Policing Teams during the Covid pandemic.
The report states: " Despite some fabulous efforts by police and partners to engage, explain and encourage, some people within Page Hall failed to listen to the advice and continual warnings."
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Hide AdDuring the pandemic, South Yorkshire Police delivered more than 3,000 translated leaflets outlining government guidelines.