Four Barnsley wards in top 20 per cent of South Yorkshire wards for 'violence with injury' crimes

A new report on violent crime in the borough, which will be presented to Barnsley Council’s overview and scrutiny committee on February 8, will update councillors on the work of the Community Safety Partnership and South Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit towards tackling violent crime.

The report states that suspects of ‘violence with injury’ crimes came from all wards, but Barnsley Central, Dearne North, Kingstone, Monk Bretton, St Helens and Worsbrough were all in the top 20 per cent of wards in South Yorkshire for the rate at which suspects originated from them.

Assault by a sharp object was less common in Barnsley Hospital data, at 11 per cent, compared to the South Yorkshire average of 16 per cent, and 20 to 29 year-olds over-represented by 293 per cent in the data, which shows ‘young people are the most affected by violence’, according to the report.

An action plan will be scrutinised by councillors at the meeting, which aims to tackle a number of issues which contribute to the levels of violent crime.

The plan, drawn up by various partners including Barnsley Council and the South Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit will consider the neighbourhoods which are disproportionately affected by violent crime; the ‘clear correlation between the consumption of alcohol and the prevalence of violence’; the ‘over representation’ of young people as perpetrators and victims of violence; and the ‘increased levels of violence’ which take place during the night-time economy.

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A number of schemes have already been funded to tackle the issue, including custody navigators, who offer long-term support detainees who have been arrested for violent offences.

Mentoring schemes are already being rolled out across South Yorkshire Schools to challenge the thinking of schoolteachers, staff and pupils around the issue, and a StreetSmart initiative engages with youngsters to improve drugs education, reduce violence against women and girls, improve mental wellbeing and challenge violence as a socio-cultural norm’.