How safe do you feel in Sheffield?

Hey folks,

I'm moving to Sheffield soon to start a postgraduate degree.

I've been getting a bit nervous about moving because I'm realising that Sheffield is bigger than and probably more dangerous than any other city I've ever lived in. I'm also just returning from living in a very safe country for a couple of years. All I can think about is how big cities must have big city crime, even if it's supposedly a safe city. Of course, I made the mistake of googling it, so now I've got a load of numbers and stats that I'm not qualified to interpret and the words 'violence' and 'sexual offences' branded into my brain.

My partying days are long over and I'm generally not one to be out past 9pm, so I'm mostly talking about daytime and dark winter afternoons. So what are your experiences? What areas are safe and which ones should I avoid? Have you ever had to deal with any crime (as a victim or witness) and if so, what kind?

For context, I'm a woman, moving into Ranmoor halls. (And yes, I'm a habitual catastrophiser!)

Reply 1

gjd800

I am n Sheffield pretty regularly (along with my gf and other female mates) and I've never had or seen a single issue.

I mean, bad stuff happens everywhere so it is going on. But I've not had a single negative experience in 10 years of regular trips to Sheffield.

Reply 2

CatInTheCorner

Gosh, yes, google can be very scary. I think Sheffield runs by the same laws as most big cities. Don't go out alone at night, don't leave your drink, wear trainers to go places then put on your heels once you're there ( in case you need to run ). Buy a r*pe alarm, and learn what's legal and illegal in the UK. Pepper spray is illegal, and you'll get in trouble if you're found to have it. There are legal self defense sprays you can buy. Take public transport over walking, the british transport police are helpful once you contact them, but the folks who work at stations usually ( no hate, just my experience ) aren't, so just go straight to the helpline.

Reply 3

Anonymous #1

Original post by CatInTheCorner

Air freshner is very good in terms of self defence spray as you can spray directly in the attackers face and run away. Also it's good in confined spaces so you also won't get affected if you sprayed it indoors or in a car.

It's also fairly cheap and accessible I would highly recommend.