Streets
of Burngreave – safe and quiet?
by Rob Smith
Having heard many
complaints concerning youth gangs and nuisance behaviour,
I went in search of these youths along with photographer
Carl. Our first visit was to Earl Marshal View (off
Earl Marshal Road).
It’s in this area a recent shooting
took place, and everyone we met had heard about this
incident. Getting directions to Earl Marshal View we
made contact with Mrs Gribben who informed me we were
too late.
“Oh yes, there was gangs of youths
here everyday before. But now the police have clamped
down and moved them on, you’re too late,”
she repeated. “As these houses were originally
made for older people, we have all been terrified by
what had been going on every night.” Thanking
Mrs Gribben, before she could again tell me we were
too late, we returned to the car. We were still searching
and headed in the direction of the Wensley Estate. It’s
here reports of youth anti-social behaviour have led
to curfews and the estate becoming a low-tolerance zone.
“They can arrest us for being in
a group of more than two,” scowled a small girl
who was playing hopscotch on the pavement with her friends.
Having informed them I was from the Burngreave Messenger
and showing my identification, smaller children playing
close by began to gather.
Looking around we saw very little sign
of teenagers, as a large police Transit made an appearance
somewhere close by.
Before leaving Wensley, we paid a visit to the local
shop and enquired whether the proprietor was aware of
the new police action taking place and how it all affected
his business.
He admited there had been a lot of anti-social
behaviour problems before, and also noted the drop in
custom since the new police curfews were in place.
Travelling onto Scott Road, most of the
youths that tend to gather in the surrounding area of
Abbeyfield Road were stood outside the park gates. Football
and cricket were taking place inside but those hanging
about are those referred to as the hard to reach age
group. I recognised those who left school in 2003, and
now in this group I saw faces of this year’s school
leavers. Like their predecessors, they have few places
to go and not much else to do, other than hang off street
corners.
“What crew are you?” I enquired
of a large enough group stood by the entrance to the
park.
“Tek, 9!” muttered a voice.
“So why you hanging about! Nothing
to do?” I asked, expecting an answer that could
range from the insightful, to the funny, or even the
downright ridiculous, rude or even crude. A reminder
that these were teenagers of 2004 meant the answer that
followed, just about summed up the times.
“Maybe we just like
hanging on the streets! Isn’t it?”
Next: Ghost
Town
The Wensley estate in Fir Vale is like
a “ghost town”, according to a local resident,
due to a 9pm to 6am curfew on young people aged 16 and
under, and a power invoked under section 30 of the Anti-social
Behaviour Act 2003...
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