Safer Stronger Merseyside

Neighbourhood policing is the bedrock of good policing. I am committed to offering a visible and accessible police service. That’s why last year, Merseyside Police changed the way it operates to enhance its service to you – with a clearer focus on local and neighbourhood policing.

This reckless Conservative government cut Merseyside's police numbers by more than 1,100, and we are still 450 officers short of the numbers we had in 2010. I’ll continue to fight to get every single one of those back, to serve and protect our communities.

Because of these hugely damaging cuts, it's vital we invest the resources we have got into local communities, so they see a visible police presence.

That means a greater focus on dedicated resources and more investment in the teams that tackle the issues that matter most to local people, with extra officers to respond to emergencies, tackle gang and gun crime, and protect vulnerable people.

I’ll make sure neighbourhood policing is a priority and the police build visible and strong connections with our communities.

I’ll also deliver on my new Estates Strategy that provides visible and accessible police stations fit for officers, staff and the public.

While progress has been made, it is essential Merseyside Police continue to work to improve their response you, the public, ensuring calls to 999 and 101 are responded to efficiently, investigations are followed up and victims get the right response from the police every time.

Communities must have confidence that, whatever crime they are reporting, they will get a swift and effective response from the police.

This also includes providing a proactive response to prevent and reduce retail crime and attacks on shop workers and retailers, making every possible effort to identify prolific offenders and protect our local community stores.

I will continue to ensure Merseyside Police provide a robust response to all crimes reported and public are informed on progress to tackle crime in their communities.

We are at a time when, nationally, trust and confidence in policing is at an all-time low. The scandals which have rocked policing across the UK have rightly prompted a strong and robust response from police leaders. Here on Merseyside, our Chief Constable has taken significant steps to set clear standards of expectation and root out any officer or member of staff not behaving to the highest standards.

As part of my scrutiny programme, I have introduced public meetings which are live streamed so you can watch and find out how in detail how our region is policed. I’ve also encouraged you to submit questions on the issues that matter most to you so I can challenge the Chief Constable on how these are being met, and I’ve appointed three independent advisers who represent our communities and join me in holding the Chief Constable to account for the performance and actions of her officers and staff.

I will continue to drive transparency and accountability in the way Merseyside Police uses its powers and serves our communities.

Real progress has been made to tackle serious violence in Merseyside. Knife crime has reduced by 18% and numbers of homicides and firearms discharges have reduced to their lowest level in more than 20 years. 

But the heartbreaking events of 2022, once again brought home the devastating consequences even one knife attack or firearms discharge can bring. Merseyside Police continues to be recognised nationally as being outstanding at tackling serious and organised crime and I will continue to drive and support them to relentlessly and robustly go after the gangs and heartless criminals who seek to cause such misery and distress on our streets. 

 Major investment and energy has been focused on those areas harmed by some of the most damaging incidents. By working with partners and our communities, we have worked to clear out criminals and make sure they face justice, increasing resilience and building areas back so they are places people love to live, work, and visit once again.

 We’re also putting the money seized from those gangs to good use; putting it back into the hands of local people and working with them to decide how it can be reinvested into our communities to make the biggest difference.

We know criminal gangs don’t see geographical boundaries, so it’s vital we work across our region to disrupt and tackle the harm they bring. In my role as lead PCC for the North West Organised Crime Unit, I have and will continue to ensure police forces work together across the North West and use all the specialist resources and powers in their arsenal to tackle organised criminal gangs.

It’s also vital to recognise the police cannot tackle serious violence on their own. There is a duty on all agencies to ensure they do everything within their power to tackle serious violence. I will ensure our serious violence strategy is delivered and we use every opportunity to drive down violence even further. 

Too often victims of crime are left bewildered and overwhelmed in a justice system that does not work for them. Victims are often left traumatised and without the right support to allow them to cope and recover. 

That’s why, victims have been at the heart of everything I have done since coming into office. In 2022, I launched our Victim Care Merseyside hub which has transformed the way victims can access support, making sure they get the right practical and emotional support when they need it. 

I’ve also brought in £5 million additional funding to support our sexual violence and domestic abuse services. 

We launched our partnership plan to tackle violence against women and girls over a year ago and positive steps are already being taken to deliver on this.

But there is still much more to be done, including work to be done to fully comprehend the scale of abuse on Merseyside and ensure funding is invested in the right way to provide the right support. I will review the approach to domestic abuse funding to ensure we are spending money where it will make the most difference. 

In addition to supporting women, I have also been determined to support our minority communities to ensure they feel safe in our brilliant region. No one should live in fear of being targeted simply because of who they are. I was proud to work with LCR Pride to launch the You’re Safe Here training focused on equipping night time bars and clubs with the skills to make their venues a safe space for all and promote an inclusive night time economy. This scheme is going from strength to strength and I am keen to continue to expand it across more organisations and wider within our region.

I will continue to fund services for victims of hate crime and invest in education and other initiatives to prevent racism, homophobia and all forms of hate.

We also see too many people with neurodiverse conditions or those who struggle with their mental health getting caught up in the criminal justice system, both as victims and offenders. Often their additional needs have not been recognised and this makes them more vulnerable to exploitation or getting drawn into criminality. 

We have already seen improvements in support for individuals with neurodiverse conditions coming into police custody. I will focus on initiatives to divert people with neurodiverse conditions and those suffering with their mental health away from the criminal justice system.

Crime and anti-social behaviour can have devastating impact on victims and communities and it’s vital that we do all we can to prevent it from occurring in the first place. 

Since taking office I have launched my Youth Diversion Fund and invested more than £350,000 in projects which have diverted young people away from anti-social behaviour, especially during the Halloween and summer months, when incidents can spike. 

Our Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership is also leading on wide-ranging interventions that are focused on supporting young people to prevent them from getting drawn into violence. They’ve already reached 100,000 young people, with a focus on early intervention in schools and developing education packages to instill the right values in young people. 

I will continue to invest in education and diversionary opportunities for our young people, including those which challenge misogyny and gender stereotypes, with a focus on preventing crime and building brighter futures.

One area where prevention is key is road safety. Deaths and injuries on our roads are entirely preventable yet Merseyside continues to see some of the highest numbers in the country. 

Along with Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram, we launched our Vision Zero road safety strategy which sets out how as a partnership we want to reduce the number of fatalities and casualties in the years ahead, with the ultimate aim that there are no avoidable collisions on our roads by 2040.

In the first year, we have seen changes to road infrastructure, education initiatives and an increase in police enforcement of drug and drink driving.

Everyone deserves to be safe on our region’s roads and it’s vital that as a partnership we focus our efforts on achieving this.

I will ensure Merseyside Police prioritises road safety enforcement and work with partners to use all powers to deliver Vision Zero strategy.

Prevention also plays an important role when addressing substance misuse. We know for many vulnerable people drug abuse is a driver for their offending. Our Project ADDER is a fantastic example of the difference a preventative approach can make - thousands of individuals diverted away from the criminal justice system and into the right place to get the help and treatment they need.

This is not only helping to transform their lives, it is freeing up police resources and making our communities safer. This is backed up with robust enforcement targeting heartless individuals who seek to profit from other people’s misery.

I will continue to support Project Adder and other initiatives that support vulnerable drug users into rehabilitative services while ensuring a robust response to the criminal gangs who bring drugs into our communities.