'Doncaster is a safe place,' says top cop as patrols stepped up after latest shootings

A top cop has moved to reassure residents that Doncaster is a safe place to live, as patrols are stepped up to curb the escalating amount of gun and knife crime in the town.
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South Yorkshire Police has said tackling the town’s gun and knife crime continutes to be ‘a priority’ and has outlined a number of measures officers are taking to keep people safe.

Doncaster District Crime Manager, DCI Richard Hammond, said: “Sadly, as a force, we are all too aware of the consequences and impact that armed criminality can have on individuals, families, and whole communities.

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“Like many of our policing colleagues across the country, armed criminality, including gun and knife enabled crime, continues to be a priority.

Police patrols around Doncaster are being stepped up in the wake of gun and knife violence in the town.Police patrols around Doncaster are being stepped up in the wake of gun and knife violence in the town.
Police patrols around Doncaster are being stepped up in the wake of gun and knife violence in the town.

"We have robust plans in place to tackle the ongoing issues we are experiencing across Doncaster, and a great deal of work is currently taking place to tackle not only gun and knife enabled crime, but violent crime as a whole.

“I want to reassure everyone that ensuring Doncaster is a safe place continues to be a huge area of focus.

"We are driving forward a partnership approach to tackling these issues, and our officers are regularly carrying out enforcement activity to remove weapons from our streets, including stop searches and vehicle checks, warrants, proactive knife arch operations and high-visibility patrols in areas known to be affected by knife and gun crime.

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“This work is being led by our local neighbourhood and proactive teams who are regularly locating and seizing weapons hidden by offenders, making arrests for possession of weapons, and disrupting drug supply networks.

"This final element is particularly important, as the links between violent crime and drug supply is clear and needs to be more widely understood by the public.

“It is absolutely vital that we combine enforcement with education. Through Operation Fortify we have strong links with local schools and community groups who are helping share messages about the consequences of knife-enabled crime.

"In many parts of the town, these relationships are stronger than ever, and we are always seeking new allies in our communities to help encourage reporting and support intervention work.

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“We need the public’s help and support to prevent violent crimes like those we have seen take place in recent weeks. If you have concerns about anything you see in Doncaster, or know somebody that carries a knife or owns a gun illegally, please continue to report it to us. We will listen and can help.”

The message comes after a number of recent violent incidents in Doncaster.

In January, Ryan Theobald, 20 and Janis Kozlovskis, 17, suffered fatal stab wounds after violence flared in the town centre, sparking a double murder probe.

In November, teenager Joe Sarpong was stabbed to death near to the town’s main police station in College Road, while in the past 12 months there have been at least 20 reported gun incidents and shootings.

Last Friday, a man was blasted in the face in Clay Lane while on Sunday a man was injured after a shooting in Armthorpe.