City Centre North

We are responding to community concerns linked to a range of anti-social behaviour linked to youth groups and members of the street community across the ward. The main number of reports over the last month have been around the areas of Williamson Square and around Highfield Street, near to Vauxhall Road.

We are responding to community concerns linked to a range of anti-social behaviour linked to youth groups and members of the street community across the ward. The main number of reports over the last month linked to youth groups have been Chavasse Park and Liverpool Waterfront and for street community issues Church Street and Derby Square.

We continue to work closely with our partners as part of a coordinated multi-agency approach to addressing ongoing concerns within the area. This includes regular collaboration with Liverpool City Council, housing providers, community organisations and colleagues from neighbouring policing areas to ensure a joined-up response to emerging issues and anti-social behaviour affecting the wider city centre.

Neighbourhood officers have been actively engaging with residents, business owners and community representatives while on patrol to better understand local concerns, address issues affecting the community and gather valuable information and intelligence.

Several proactive operations have been carried out, with officers deployed in both plain clothes and high-visibility patrols across key locations. A number of Community Protection Notices (CPNs) and Community Protection Warning Notices have also been issued to individuals whose behaviour has had a detrimental impact on the local community.

In preparation for the May Half Term holidays, when we have historically experienced an increase in anti-social behaviour and youth-related disorder, a dedicated disruption plan was implemented. This included enhanced foot patrols, increased high-visibility policing, targeted enforcement activity and proactive engagement with businesses, visitors and young people spending time within the city centre.

As part of our ongoing work, officers are also investigating concerns surrounding a licensed premises which hosted an under-18s event during the May Half Term that resulted in a significant increase in anti-social behaviour and disorder on the border of Liverpool City Centre. We are working closely with Liverpool City Council's Licensing, Public Protection and Children's Safeguarding teams to review the circumstances surrounding the event and identify any further actions that may be available. Follow-up meetings are being coordinated with partners and the premises operators as part of this process to ensure lessons are learned and appropriate measures are considered to prevent similar issues occurring in the future.

We have provided extensive evidence to Liverpool City Council in support of the introduction of a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO). The PSPO has now been approved by the Council and is being actively enforced by police officers and PCSOs across the neighbourhood.
Since its introduction, officers have taken robust enforcement action where prohibitions have been breached.

Numerous individuals have been formally dealt with, dispersed from the area and reported to Liverpool City Council as part of joint enforcement arrangements.
Public Spaces Protection Orders are legal measures introduced under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. They are designed to address persistent anti-social behaviour within defined public areas and ensure that those spaces can be used and enjoyed safely by residents, businesses and visitors without harassment, alarm or disruption.

We continue to work closely with Liverpool City Council to highlight the importance of the PSPO, particularly throughout the summer months, when increased visitor numbers can place additional demands on the city centre. The order provides officers and partner agencies with further powers to address anti-social behaviour and improve public confidence.

Neighbourhood officers continue to patrol the area during peak demand periods, maintaining a visible presence and responding proactively to incidents as they arise. Joint working with partner agencies remains central to our approach.

In addition, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, together with the North West Underwater Search and Marine Unit, have conducted visible patrols across the waterfront and dock areas. These patrols have provided additional reassurance to residents and visitors, with further activity planned throughout the summer period.

Members of the public are encouraged to report all incidents of anti-social behaviour and crime by calling 101, or 999 in an emergency. Reports can also be submitted online or in person at the General Enquiry Office at Admiral Street Police Station or St Anne Street Police Station.

We aim to build trust with local retailers by responding proactively to retail crime and encouraging confidence in reporting incidents such as shop theft, burglary, and robbery, so we can better support businesses across Liverpool City Centre.

As part of our ongoing commitment to keeping Liverpool City Centre safe, we have introduced a dedicated team of officers through Operation Santiago. This initiative has been developed to work closely with local businesses and take a proactive approach to tackling shop theft, burglary and robbery across the main retail areas of the City Centre North ward.

Launched in late 2025, Operation Santiago provides a consistent, high-visibility policing presence in identified retail hotspots across the city centre. These locations are reviewed weekly to ensure resources are focused where they are needed most and are determined by the Sergeant leading the operation.

Key elements of Operation Santiago include:
•Joint patrols with retail security teams, carried out regularly to increase visibility, strengthen partnership working and facilitate real-time intelligence sharing.
•Targeted action against anti-social behaviour and prolific offenders, including the use of Pre-Community Protection Notices (Pre-CPNs) and applications for Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBOs) to help prevent further offending and protect local businesses.
•Attendance at Retail Watch meetings, hosted by Liverpool BID Company and Liverpool ONE, where officers provide crime prevention advice, discuss current issues affecting retailers and promote good practice around crime scene preservation and the Golden Hour principles.
•“Cuppa with a Copper” engagement events, giving businesses the opportunity to meet local officers, raise concerns and provide feedback in an informal setting.

During May, officers successfully secured several Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBOs) against individuals responsible for persistent offending in the city centre. These orders are an important tool in reducing the impact of repeat offenders by placing enforceable restrictions on their behaviour and movements.

A Criminal Behaviour Order is a court-issued order that can be imposed on an individual following conviction for a criminal offence. It is designed to tackle persistent anti-social or criminal behaviour by preventing further offending and protecting businesses, staff and the wider public from harm, harassment, alarm or distress. Orders can include restrictions such as exclusion from specific locations, as well as requirements to engage with support services. Breaching a CBO is a criminal offence and may result in arrest and further court proceedings.

We also recognise that some retail premises are repeatedly targeted by offenders seeking to fund substance misuse. To address this, funding has been secured for a Safer Pod, which has been deployed at stores experiencing ongoing issues. The presence of the pod has proven effective in deterring offenders and reducing criminal activity through its highly visible presence.

We encourage all businesses, retail staff and members of the public to report incidents of business crime and offences against shop workers. Every report helps us build intelligence, identify repeat offenders and take positive action.

Reports can be made via 101, or 999 in an emergency. Incidents can also be reported online or in person at the General Enquiry Office at Admiral Street Police Station or St Anne Street Police Station.