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Sheffield Students Take Direct Action Against Street Crime

Darren W | 20.09.2005 10:16 | Sheffield

Statistically Sheffield is an extremely safe city to live in, but there are certain areas which are the focus of criminal activity. This morning students from both Sheffield Hallam and Sheffield University carried out direct action to warn new and old students about the danger posed by one such area; Frog Walk.

Sharrow Vale Entrance
Sharrow Vale Entrance





Frog Walk is notorious for being the 'perfect place to commit a crime' and over the years numerous students have been violently mugged and even raped while taking this short cut from Sharrow Vale Road down to Ecclesall Road. Yet despite this the area remains un signposted. Their are no warning signs urging people to take a safer route, their is also no way for people to know they are on Frog walk as the alleys name is colloquial.

So early this morning a group of students took information from a cached South Yorkshire Police Website and fly posted it at either end of Frog Walk. The aim of the action was to encourage students to take a safer route home but also to make sure any student still choosing to use the short cut was well aware of the risks it posed.

The students responsible hope that the council keep the postings up only until they have produced more long-lasting replacements

Darren W
- e-mail: darrenwavide@yahoo.co.uk

Comments

Hide the following 6 comments

'Direct' action?

20.09.2005 11:22

Putting up a poster isn't direct action. It might have been the right thing to do here, but it is basically advertising or info spreading, which aims to encourage other people to take action.

Direct action would be setting up a community patrol of Frog walk, or students organising groups to walk each other home -- taking control in the here and now.

Just a semantic point, but not every action is a direct one ;)

Random


Direct action?

20.09.2005 12:22

Theirs nothing wrong with arguing semantics. In this case I would argue it is Direct Action as for many years now Welfare officers from Sheffield Students Unions have lobbied the council arguing that they should publicise the danger posed by Frog Walk but the council have not done so. It was direct action in the sense that the students gave up trying to get the politicians to put the signs up and did it themselves

Modnar


Hurrah !

20.09.2005 17:36

The Sheffield students have found the only spot were there ain't any CCTV in Britain.

gaz


shut it down

24.09.2005 09:21

FROG WALK SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLOSED DOWN YEARS AGO ! SEALED WITH CONCRETE !

joshman


Call The Cops

24.09.2005 17:14

Good idea with the posters, unfortunately someone has since stolen them.

Cheeky


Civic Duty

26.09.2005 16:54

We'll have to go back and put some more up then.

Anyone fancy doing the same?

Safety first