Dr Alan Billings, South Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, addressed the Shiregreen Community Forum about policing issues on Monday, 18 May.

The Commissioner was accompanied by Sergeant Michelle Fox, from the safer neighbourhood team, and attended at the invitation of Sophie Lejeune-Peggie, partnership manager of Sanctuary Housing.

The Commissioner explained the new Local Policing Model that would be introduced across Sheffield in September.

He said: “The new Local Policing Teams will be bigger than existing neighbourhood teams because they will be formed by combining response and neighbourhood teams into a single team with a community focus.

“Each Local Policing Team will be expected to manage all but the most serious crimes in their area, from start to finish, and keep in touch with victims. They will operate a 24 hour, seven day shift pattern. Police community support officers will remain as they are.

“The Local Policing Teams will be more visible within communities because they will be equipped with laptops that enable them to write up their reports while still in the community instead of having to travel back to a police station.”

Members of the audience spoke about anti-social behaviour. Sergeant Fox assured them that the police took this absolutely seriously. She assured them that compared with some other places, Shiregreen did not have a big anti-social behaviour problem. However, she urged anyone that saw bad behaviour happening to contact the police immediately through 101.