The major issue Sheffield’s new top cop needs to address after Marcus Ramsay killing

Chief Superintendent Una Jennings took up the role as the city’s top cop on August 1, after Commander Stuart Barton stepped down from the position as he nears retirement.

Sheffield’s new top cop, who was formerly Rotherham’s District Commander, shared that young people need to shift their attitudes towards carrying knives in order to tackle the city’s rising number of stabbings.

It comes after 35-year-old Marcus Ramsay died from stab wounds, following a ‘large-scale disorder' outside a house in Horninglow Road in the Firth Park area at 12.20am on Saturday, August 8.

He was taken to hospital with injuries to his upper body but sadly passed away shortly afterwards.

Police are now urging anyone with any information or witnessed the attack over the weekend to come forward with information.

Chief Superintendent Jennings, who was on duty last weekend, labelled the stabbing a ‘tragedy’ and issued her condolences to Mr Ramsay’s family and friends.

"It is a real tragedy and my heart really goes out to that man's family”, she said.

"The investigation is being led by our specialist teams in our major incident room and I'm sure they are making great progress around that.

"In terms of tackling knife crime as an issue, separate from that, for me it absolutely is around trying to change hearts and minds around that type of crime.

"We know that it is a perennial issue around our young people in particular, we know that young people in this city are more likely to carry a knife.”

Knife crime and shootings have caused big problems in communities across Sheffield recently, particularly in Page Hall, Firth Park and Fir Vale during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Four shootings were reported on the same day across areas in Sharrow and Nether Edge on Friday, May 8 – leaving residents concerned about the safety of the place they call home.

Ms Jennings explained that educating young people about the dangers of carrying a knife, will form part of her plan to tackle the problem.

She continued: "We know they are more likely to be victims of knife crime and be perpetrators of knife crime so the conversation we have in Sheffield must be in our homes, in our schools, in our local council, orientated towards appealing to those young men in particular that think this is a good option.

"By trying to help them understand the consequences of carrying a knife and what that can have for them and the people that they live.

Sheffield’s new top cop also urged people to remember the ‘context’ behind such violent attacks, as the police carry out their proposals to combat the number of stabbings.

Ms Jennings added: "It has to be an attitudinal change and it has to be oriented towards our young people in particular because they are both most at risk and also the most risky.

"When we talk about knife crime in particular what I would say to people in the city, the perception that there is some number of these [attacks] that are of concern, is that context is everything.

"This is a big city and people commit crime.

"Most of the attacks that we see locally and I know local people know this, are targeted and often linked to organised criminality.

"We have a plan we have confidence in and a plan that should make those individuals intent on causing harm across our city and communities think twice.

"We are live to the concerns that people have locally and we will deliver on it and I'm super sensitised to the perception people have around this issue in Sheffield and recognise and understand that statistics tell only part of the story, how people feel in this city is probably equally if not more important."

South Yorkshire Police’s armed crime team seized 12 illegal firearms across the city in the last seven days, as part of their plan to proactively tackle violent and organised crime.

Chief Superintendent Jennings expressed her commitment to sensitively tackling the persistent neighbourhood issues in Page Hall, after multiple videos which showed residents brawling in the street and using furniture as weapons to attack each other, circulated social media.

The high-profile officer said: "This is a community that needs a really tailored response and from us communicating with them in Slovak about our key messages, to the work we have progressed under operation agent with our local authority partners.

"We are really focusing on supporting and encouraging people in Page Hall and right across the city to behave in a thoughtful, sensible way that protects them and those they love.

"Effective policing, particularly in these areas, go to the very heart of a community's sense of identity and security.”

The new District Commander shared how she felt ‘gutted’ that some residents are concerned about their safety following the rising number of stabbings and shootings in the city.

Ms Jennings who lives in Nether Edge added: "What I would say to people who are concerned about it [crime], who don't feel safe is that is not ok.

"I'm gutted that that's not the case and it's my job to change that and I'm good at my job, I take my job very personally.

"I want people to feel safe and equally, importantly for me, it's around feeling safe and I'm very sensitised to the perception of people locally which is why it's right up there for me.”

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