DRUGS IN BURNGREAVE

Anonymous

I have refrained from writing this letter for as long as possible in the hope that the police may be in the process of sorting things out. Obviously nothing is getting done. Several weeks ago, the Sheffield Star ran an article quoting “drugs had more or less been dealt with in the Burngreave area…” THAT IS A JOKE!!
Dealers and junkies are out from early morning to early evening and are not afraid to be seen doing what they are about. The junkies wander about the neighbourhood all day, buy what they need and then go to the local shops to get the things they have to have to take the drugs. As they come out of the shops, they walk along the paths in front of people, emptying their cans of pop in the street, so it is obvious what they need the cans for.

The small square area of Ellesmere Road, Clun Street, Grimesthorpe Road South and Gower Street is more like an open-air market for drugs than residential/commercial area. Traffic is horrendous, sometimes cars parking 2/3 across that part of Clun Street between Grimesthorpe Road South and Ellesmere Road. They are driven at speed up and down Grimesthorpe Road South with some of the divers performing hand-brake turns at the junction. How there hasn’t been an accident I will never understand.

On top of everything else, there has been a blues club running on Sunday nights above these two premises. The music can be heard way up Grimesthorpe Road South and Bressingham Road until 6 or 7 in the morning. Cars are parked all over the place, either blocking tenants in the small residential carparks or taking up spaces reserved for tenants. No-one dares to complain directly because of the publicity in the paper about the shootings in and around the area. Music and doors banging from the cars of people visiting this club can be heard throughout the night. When someone got shot in this place a few weeks ago, the newspaper stated that the police had requested the owner not to open the following Sunday (which he didn’t) but they were looking at ways to close down the club permanently. The residents are still waiting for that to happen.

We had a similar problem (not as bad though) about five or six years ago. The police did manage to sort it out. The situation at that time was confined to Clun Street and Bressingham Road I am wondering if they are frightened to confront these dealers. Either that or they are working (informing) for the police. Whichever way, we should not have to put up with it! I have lived in Pitsmoor for nearly 40 years and have been happy until now. 

There is a small police presence and they have reopened a small office on Andover Street, but that office needs to be relocated to Clun Street/Grimesthorpe Road South. What the police are doing in this area is negligible. Better lighting and CCTV cameras placed on the Vestry Hall and on the corner of Clun Street and Ellesmere Road to take in the whole area might be a deterrent.
I am sending copies of this letter to various people including..-
The Chief Constable of South Yorkshire
David Blunkett - Home Secretary
Inspector Alan Billings, Attercliffe Police Station, Sheffield 
Steve Jones - local councillor.

I have not put my name to this letter because I am too frightened to let it be known that I have bothered to try and bring these matters to light. In fact, I cannot believe that the local police could not know all this. If anyone wants to comment on these matters, please do it through the Burngreave Messenger - then all the community can see it.

Note - The editorial team discussed this letter at length. We do not usually publish anonymous letters, but we will with hold details on request. We felt that as this letter raised such important and sensitive issues and because it was clearly written by a local resident with good reason to remain anonymous we would make an exception. The Messenger welcomes further comment on to this important topic. We would also welcome a response from the police.