A new five-step plan has been unveiled by South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard, aiming to tackle crime within Sheffield’s communities.

The plan is the first published Police and Crime Plan from South Yorkshire’s Mayor since policing and crime responsibility was transferred to Mr Coppard last year.

The five-step plan has been set out over a four year time span and focuses on crime reduction and building trust between police and local community members.

Mr Coppard said: “I am delighted to present my first Police and Crime Plan – a plan for action that sets out clear expectations for policing in South Yorkshire, with the clear aim for our region to become a place where everyone feels safe and secure, whoever and wherever they are.”

Further steps within the plan focus upon breaking cycles of offending and harm, tackling the most serious offences and improving safety across all travel networks.

Mr Coppard added: “I will not hide from the big challenges we face. Knife crime is falling, but the rates of knife crime, along with levels of serious violence and anti-social behaviour, are still too high. Too many young people don’t feel safe on our streets.”

Get Licensed, a leading UK security licensing organisation, reported that South Yorkshire reports 10.72 knife crimes per 10,000 people making it one of the worst regions in the country for knife related crime.

The plan takes into account 2,100 public consultation results, with four out of five responding positively to the proposed plans.

Rt Hon Lord David Blunkett hosted a serious of round table discussions within which priorities of the plan were discussed amongst a gathering of statutory and voluntary partners from across South Yorkshire and the wider criminal justice sector.

The views of the Police and Crime Panel members have also been recorded and are due to be released at the end of the month before the formal plan is finalised.

The full, formal plan is set to be formally launched alongside the announcement of a new Deputy Mayor, who will focus upon Policing and Reform, after the May elections.