Under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, all Councils and Responsible Authorities must develop and implement a strategy for:
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The reduction of crime and disorder (including anti-social and other behaviour adversely affecting the local environment)
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Combatting the misuse of drugs, alcohol, and other substances
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The reduction of re-offending in the area
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Preventing people from becoming involved in serious violence in the area,
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Reducing instances of serious violence in the area
In Sheffield, the Safer Sheffield Partnership, which has been established for over 20 years, brings together those authorities and includes Sheffield City Council, South Yorkshire Police, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board and the National Probation Service.
Together they have been developing the Safer Sheffield Crime and Disorder Reduction Strategy 2025-28. The Strategy aims to make Sheffield a place where people can thrive in great neighbourhoods and caring communities, putting safety at the heart of activity.
“Although Sheffield is one of the safest cities in the UK, we know that there’s more we can do to tackle the issues that matter to our communities. Being a victim of crime can be personally traumatic and reports of crime and disorder in your local neighbourhood can impact how you feel about where you live.
“Safety underpins our ambitions to ensure the city is prosperous and where all our residents can thrive.”
Councillor Kurtis Crossland, Chair of the Communities, Parks and Leisure Committee at Sheffield City Council
To develop the Strategy, the Safer Sheffield Partnership commissioned a detailed analysis to pinpoint what the crime and anti-social behaviour priorities should be, and to establish a clear strategic focus to tackle them.
This analysis was complemented by the feedback from public consultations to ensure that Sheffield residents, businesses and partners could have their say on what the strategy will prioritise.
The proposed priorities for the Strategy include:
- Tackling the supply of drugs
- Reducing Serious Violence (including violence against women and girls)
- Hate Crime
- Neighbourhood Crime and Re-offending
- Anti-social behaviour
- Protecting Vulnerable People
- Sheffield City Centre
"This strategy is the result of strong and efficient partnership working which has seen people from different teams and organisations pulling together to make the most of our powers and resources.
"Together, we are focusing on themes which pose the greatest risk and harm in Sheffield. Our city centre work, which is developing and is recognised as one of our strategic priorities, typifies this. As a partnership, we are focused on tackling the underlying health, accommodation, and substance abuse issues which contribute to some of the problems we encounter and can lead to vulnerable people frequenting the streets, as well as creating perceptions which make people feel insecure.
"We are fully committed to further lowering crime rates and tackling anti-social behaviour - primarily through our dedicated Neighbourhood Policing Teams - and we'll continue to support ambitious redevelopment work with the ultimate aim of making Sheffield a safer city to live, work in, and visit."
Superintendent Paul Ferguson, of South Yorkshire Police
The draft Safer Sheffield Crime and Disorder Reduction Strategy 2025-28 will be considered at a Communities, Parks and Leisure Committee meeting on Monday 31 March 2025.
If approved by committee members, it will go to Full Council for consideration on Wednesday 2 July 2025.
You can watch the committee meeting via the webcast on the Sheffield City Council website.
You can read the full report and draft strategy on the Council website. Safer Sheffield Crime and Disorder Reduction Strategy 2025-28 decision report.pdf