Police fears of violence at West Indian party mystify organisers

COMMUNITY leaders who are attempting to organise a Jamaican independence day celebration at a busy community centre have spoken of their shock after police said they wanted to block the event.

Senior officers have told licensing chiefs they are worried about violent incidents which have happened outside the Sheffield and District African Caribbean Community Association.

In the last 12 months there has been a gun attack and a stabbing which detectives linked with the association premises in The Wicker, close to Sheffield city centre, and there are concerns of a repeat.

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But a member of the board which runs the association and the community centre said yesterday that he was not even aware of the move to halt the event and asked why the police were getting involved.

Members of the association board have applied to Sheffield Council’s licensing officers for what is known as a temporary event notice, which allows for large-scale gatherings and parties at venues.

If the notice is granted, the club will be able to hold its event, which according to the application will involve a maximum of 300 people, the sale of alcohol until 2am and music and dancing.

Milton Samuels, associationvice-chairman, who is named on the notice, said he was surprised to hear that anyone would object to the celebration, which is planned for Sunday, August 7.

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He added: “Other people in the city are holding dances and parties, why would the police want to object?

“Nothing has been notified to us so it is hard for us to be able to react to the objection.

“The police and the council haven’t told me that there has been an objection. This is a totally different kind of event to those where trouble broke out. They were club nights.”

According to the official objection lodged with the council on behalf of South Yorkshire’s chief constable, officers in the city centre believe that trouble could break out at the premises nonetheless.

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The document says: “The grounds of objection are based on the prevention of crime and disorder and relates to violent incidents which occurred when the premises held a temporary event in April 2011.

“Officers feel any future events could result in a similar outcome. Following discussions it was agreed that any future temporary events would be discussed with the police before application.

“This has not been adhered to. In order for the objections to be withdrawn, the matters outlined must be addressed to our satisfaction.”

Police were called to the association premises on Sunday, April 24 this year after paramedics were called to help four men who had suffered knife wounds in an incident which officers said happened inside the centre.

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One man suffered a wound to his abdomen, while two others were stabbed several times in the head and another received slash wounds to his face. A 28-year-old man was arrested at the time.

Last October, a man fired a handgun three times into a crowd of people who were standing outside the premises, causing what police described as a “mad panic”.

Although nobody was injured, the case is being investigated as an attempted murder, and police said yesterday a 27-year-old man had been arrested in connection with the shooting and was on police bail pending further inquiries.

Officers said that they were still working on the investigation into the stabbing incident in April.

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Members of the association board will be asked to attend a meeting at Sheffield Town Hall next Tuesday where the issues raised by the police will be examined by members of the council’s licensing board.

The committee could decide to overturn the police objection and allow the event to go ahead, or formally block the independence day celebration completely.

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