Sheffield city centre anti-social behaviour action praised as success
Focus on giving vulnerable people support praised by city homelessness organisations
A public spaces protection order to halt anti-social behaviour in Sheffield city centre has been hailed as a success because the number of breaches recorded has halved.
Figures covering the first 18 months of the operation of the PSPO show that the number of breaches recorded dropped from a monthly average of 381 during the first six months to 186 following that.
The highest number of breaches was for loitering, followed by aggressive begging, possession of alcohol and possession of drugs. The lowest was for public urination or defecation.
People have been asked to leave the PSPO area 1,639 times. Confiscation of alcohol and drugs has taken place on 166 and 54 occasions respectively.
Advice and support has been given 895 times.
A total of 358 warning notices of intended action have been issued.
No fixed penalty notices have been issued so far but six cases have been taken to court. Magistrates have issued fines totalling £2,384 to defendants for breaching the PSPO.
Around 20 more court cases are in the pipeline, a meeting of Sheffield City Council’s communities, parks and leisure policy committee was told (November 2).
Councillors were told that the focus on giving vulnerable people support has been praised by city organisations who work closely with people experiencing street homelessness.
A letter to the Central Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “A genuinely collaborative approach, in which enforcement officers are as attentive to safeguarding as they are to public protection, makes a profound difference.
“It strengthens our ability to support individuals whose lives are fragile and unpredictable, and it reinforces trust between our organisations.”
Coun Joe Otten said: “This is marvellous news. If we have decreased the rate of transgressions with orders being halved, that shows it’s working.”
He asked Green councillors, who opposed the PSPO being introduced, whether they have changed their minds.
Coun Marieanne Elliot replied: “I opposed the PSPO in principle.
“We did a lot of work and steered it quite a lot towards a support approach rather than more draconian measures. That still stands – I think we need support primarily.”
Councillors said they still fear that some anti-social behaviour is being displaced elsewhere and asked for more investigation to take place.