New Sheffield police chief determined to deal with spike in gun crimes
There have been 4 gun incidents in the city since the new year
Police insist Sheffield doesn't have a gun problem, despite shots being fired in four incidents in the last month.
Officers think a spike in gun crimes since Christmas may be drug-related and some of them could be linked.
They're mainly happening in the South East of the city - with shots fired in Park Hill, the Manor, Wybourn and Jordanthorpe.
A new district commander, Chief Superintendent Stuart Barton, has been drafted in from Manchester where he's had experience dealing with gangs.
He says the latest incidents in Sheffield could be linked to drugs:
"We clearly have had a spike. I wouldn't be telling the truth if I didn't think that this should be treated as a spike. Our aim is to curtail that spike as quickly as we can and form that return to a state of normality within the communities that deserve a better place to live.
"It's very difficult to say exactly what the motive is. Discharges can happen for a variety of reasons; they may be some fallout, loss of face with others, it may be territory related or even sometimes to do with drugs. We do believe there may be some drugs connection with this. Geographically they appear to be linked and they appear to be the same individuals."
Police have got more officers patrolling the community where the gun incidents have taken place.
Stuart says they need help from the public too though:
"We're doing our best to provide as much reassurance as we can. We have officers that are working 24/7 in those locations. They are looking for key individuals, targets and vehicles and that will continue until the point that we believe we've dealt with this as appropriately as we should.
"We look to the public to help us, have confidence in us that if they do come forward that we will deal with it. I can reassure people that will deal with them anonymously if we have to. I just ask that people contact somebody they know who can pass the information to us."