Burngreave Blues

By Andrew Green

Numerous shootings and stabbings in Burngreave over the last eight months have taken place in and around illegal blues clubs.

But the clubs are not the cause of the problem, Superintendent John Brennan told a packed meeting of local residents at St Peter’s Church on 11 June, organised by South Yorkshire Police Authority in response to concern about violence in Burngreave. The meeting heard from police and blues clubbers themselves that the clubs are part of local culture, and their users have no wish to break the law. But because the clubs are illegal, drug dealers take advantage of them. 

One solution, Superintendent Brennan says, is to find a way of legalising blues clubs. For now, all the police can do is maintain a visible presence outside them. As part of their street crime initiative, police have conducted special stop-and-search exercises. During three weekends in May, they stopped 120 people and arrested 17. They also stopped 110 people using their normal powers. Of the first 120, 33% were classed as white, 18% were Asian, and 48% were black. Perhaps these figures reflect the ethnic mix of people trying to enter blues clubs, rather than the general population of Burngreave.

Surveillance of the Green at the top of Spital Hill will be supplemented in August (the police tell us) by three CCTV cameras. There are no more cameras planned for the area, as installing and operating them is said to be too expensive. However this news was greeted with anger by a number of residents from the Catherine Street area who told the meeting that the Council and Police had gone back on their word to provide CCTV coverage right along Burngreave Road and Spital Hill.
Residents and shoppers in Burngreave regularly feel harassed and frightened by drug dealers and abusers. They complained at the meeting and in letters to the Messenger that the police don’t respond to information they provide. The police agree a vast amount of information is coming in, but say they can’t employ enough staff to cope with it – although information received will “always be acted upon in due course.” The drugs squad is out every day, targeting “high level” dealers and building cases. They deny allegations that police turn a blind eye to the crimes of those who become informers. 

Ellesmere residents are clearly not satisfied. Some say they are “terrified” and call for more police in the area. Yet the police say they are “pouring resources into Burngreave” and nothing more is available. Up to 50 officers are investigating all the shootings. So far they have made one arrest. 

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