South Yorkshire Mayor and police commissioner sets out five-year crime-fighting plan
The South Yorkshire Mayor said he will tackle the lack of trust in police over issues such as the Hillsborough football disaster and the Rotherham child sexual exploitation scandal while outlining his key priorities for combatting crime.
Oliver Coppard outlined his proposals for the next five years today (March 17) when he presented a draft version of his police and crime plan running to 2029 at a special meeting of the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel in Barnsley.
The mayor took over the additional role of South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner following his re-election in May 2024.
The plan identifies five strategic priorities:
- Improving trust and confidence in the police and criminal justice system;
- Preventing and reducing crime and anti-social behaviour;
- Improving safety on all transport networks;
- Breaking the cycle of offending and harm;
- Tackling the most serious offences and building resilient communities.
Its two key themes are “putting victims and communities at the heart of everything we do” and “working in partnership to improve outcomes for everybody”.
A report to the panel, which is comprised of members of all four South Yorkshire councils plus one independent member, said that the plan covers all the crime issues that panel members have raised most consistently. These include nuisance and dangerous driving and parking, rural crime and anti-social behaviour, including fly-tipping.
Solutions
The plan, which will be followed by a delivery plan, pledges to come up with solutions to tackle key issues that can be put in place in all four council areas.
Mayor Coppard said: “This is the culmination of a significant amount of work. It wouldn’t be possible without the engagement of thousands of people across our community”. He thanked Lord David Blunkett for chairing a number of round-table events.
He added: “I am focusing on issues hurting families and businesses across South Yorkshire.
“I want to tackle a legacy of a lack of trust in our police. This plan is a step in that journey,” said the mayor. He referred to “legacy issues of Hillsborough and CSE [child sexual exploitation] in Rotherham”.
“I am grateful to way that police have engaged. It’s going to take a whole system approach to tackle that challenge.”
Mayor Coppard stressed: “This document is not a silver bullet or panacea. The focus is on what communities, victims and survivors want.”
Priorities
Coun Ian Horner from Sheffield City Council said that the government’s need to urgently increase the defence budget could mean cuts in funding. He asked how the plan’s priorities would be affected.
Mayor Coppard said that the priorities remain the same, no matter what budget is available to deal with them. He said he would continue to press the government for the maximum funding for South Yorkshire.
Coun Ben Miskell, also representing the city council, said that the plan must ensure that people who report crime are kept up to date with any developments. He said that is linked to rebuilding trust in the police.
He highlighted visible policing of city and town centres. “In Sheffield, for example, we are regenerating the city centre and introducing a public spaces protection order and tackling anti-social behaviour but we need South Yorkshire Police to continue to treat cities and city centre policing and town centre policing as a clear priority.