‘I stood at tense Blayton Road cordon as shaken community came to terms with shooting’
‘I stood at tense Blayton Road cordon as shaken community came to terms with shooting’.
I went to a police cordon on Blayton Road in Sheffield today after a gunshot and chatted with residents, who expressed a combination of annoyance and pride in their community.
When I arrived in Pitsmoor, I found a lively, dynamic crime scene. The street was shut off with blue tape, and officers carefully recorded everyone entered and exited the barrier.
Crime scene investigators, clothed head to toe in white coats, arrived and left as cops conversed softly among themselves.
I stopped to interact with people as they went about their day. “It was shocking to hear, but honestly, nothing really surprises me anymore,” said Steve Walmsley, who had been walking his dog nearby.
“It’s alarming, but it’s not uncommon around here. You’ve come to anticipate it.
Steve has lived in the neighbourhood for most of his life. “I was on Blayton Road from 1980 to 1993, and now I’m over in Firshill,” I was told.
“I have always been around here. But I’ll tell you something: it’s gone downhill. “I’d say 80 percent of the problems are drug-related.” He motioned as he talked, saying, “There was a drug raid outside my flat not long ago.
Before then, I’d witnessed deals happening just beneath my window; they’re everywhere.” When asked what he felt might make a difference, he was straightforward: “There aren’t enough cops around.
I would want to see more officers here. Two builders working on a nearby property, still wearing their hi-vis jackets, assured me they had not been present when the incident occurred.
“We don’t know what went off,” one remarked, “but if you told us it was a gunshot or something drug-related, we’d believe you.
Because of the location.” Another man who lives on the block described being awoken unexpectedly in the night. “I heard two big bangs at around two in the morning,” he informed me.
“At first, I assumed it was fireworks, but fireworks don’t cease after two. “I knew it was something different.” However, not everyone portrayed the same grim picture. When I asked a woman waiting for her bus if the neighbourhood felt unsafe, she shook her head.
“I’ve been here nearly 50 years,” she explained. “Never had any issues. It’s a friendly place, and everyone gets along.”
She introduced me to a friend, a local merchant, who confirmed her words. “It’s made out to be worse than it really is,” he insisted. “We’ve been here decades and this is a good community – people look out for one another.” Even on the way home, the subject dogged me.
My Uber driver asked what I’d been up to, and when I told him, he gave me a knowing nod.
“I wouldn’t drive a cash taxi around here,” he acknowledged. “But I am fine with Ubers. Everyone is familiar with the place. However, it is significantly better than previously. Definitely.
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