Huge seizures and arrests as crime continues to fall in EVOLVE Liverpool-Knowsley

Crime in an area selected for a Clear, Hold, Build initiative has fallen by a tenth since its launch in August 2022.

EVOLVE Liverpool-Knowsley was launched in Dovecot, Yew Tree, Longview, Page Moss, Huyton and the immediate surrounding areas in August 2022 in response to the murders of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt Korbel, 28-year-old Ashley Dale and 22-year-old Sam Rimmer.

The project sees police and partners working closely together in communities blighted by serious and organised crime to create stronger, safer and more resilient neighbourhoods.

Since the launch there has been a 10% decrease in all crime in EVOLVE Liverpool-Knowsley areas.

There have also been the following decreases:

• Serious acquisitive crime fell by 6%
• Serious violence decreased by 25%
• ASB/public order decreased by 37%
• Burglary dropped by 30%
• Criminal damage fell by 11%
• Vehicle crime and interference decreased by 14%

Due to the proactive work of officers focused on targeting drug-related activity and thanks to hundreds of extra intelligence reports from the public (178% increase), drugs possession and trafficking offences have increased by 10% since the launch.

Since August 2022, more than 1,400 arrests have been made in the area, key offenders have been sentenced to more than 237 years in prison and several gang injunctions have been served.

Officers have also seized nearly 190kg of suspected Class A and B drugs, more than £522,000 cash, 66 offensive weapons, eight firearms, suspected stolen bikes and vehicles, carried out 160 warrants and 1,794 stop searches, safeguarded 85 people and made 124 safeguarding referrals.


Police and partners at one year anniversary of launch of Build at Jubilee Park, Huyton

Superintendent Tony Fairhurst, one of the senior officers involved in EVOLVE Liverpool-Knowsley, said: “Tackling organised crime, preventing criminality and protecting communities are key priorities for Merseyside Police.

“Following the tragic events in August 2022, we put in place robust policing operations to safeguard our communities and bring those responsible to justice. While we were able to put Olivia and Ashley’s murderers behind bars for a very long time, we are still working hard to find those responsible for Sam’s death and urge anyone with information to contact us.

“These families, and all the families who have lost someone to criminality, suffer day in day out and we are committed to helping to make Merseyside a safer place to live, work and visit so other families don’t suffer the same indescribable pain.

“When we launched EVOLVE our overarching aim was to dismantle the gangs, stop serious and organised crime and make our neighbourhoods safer and more resilient for generations to come.

“I am delighted that as a partnership we have made some fantastic progress and achieved some significant successes in the area as seen by the reduction in crime and increase in public confidence.

“However, our journey is still in its infancy and we are all committed to ensuring EVOLVE is a success with permanent positive long-term changes for those living and working in these areas.

“To have the greatest success though we need our communities to continue to tell us what they know about the activities of the minority intent on causing harm and I urge those with any information to contact us, or Crimestoppers anonymously so we can keep helping those who are vulnerable and bring offenders to justice – silence is not an option.”

Activity carried out by Liverpool Council services within the area since the launch includes:

• New state of the art CCTV installed at Finch Lane and Dovecot shops
• The implementation of problem-solving groups with key partners and stakeholders within the Yew Tree, Deysbrook and Dovecot wards that play a key role in connecting the EVOLVE Operational Delivery Group to the groups on the ground and vice versa
• Involvement in regular partnership days featuring environmental clean ups, pest control, home fire safety checks, door knocking, dispensing information and advice, and skip programmes 
• Involvement in partner drop-ins to give residents access to support, information and advice
• Organisation of a community event with Christmas carols around Olivia’s Tree
• Councillors and LCC officers worked with Olivia’s Butterfly Foundation to organise a memorial to Olivia in the community
• Commissioned Perception Theatre to adapt their production of GRASS for year 7 and above to one suitable for primary school children in Key Stage 2 (years 4,5 and 6). Onward Homes also provided funding for Perception Theatre to deliver three performances of one of their productions in the Yew Tree area
• Commissioned Foundation for Peace to deliver their 'Small Steps for Peace' programme to primary school children that encourages positive peer relationships and peaceful conflict resolution
• More than 1000 illegal vapes and other counterfeit items seized by the Alcohol and Tobacco unit
• Funding secured from the Illegal Money Lending Team to deliver a project over summer 2024 addressing the dangers of using loan sharks
• Worked with Crimestoppers on the “We are a Crimestoppers Area” with signs erected across Yew Tree, Deysbrook and Dovecot areas encouraging the use of this anonymous way to report crime and anti-social behaviour
• Discussions ongoing with KFC and McDonalds to try to utilise their apprenticeship levy to enhance our youth worker apprenticeship scheme.

Councillor Laura Robertson-Collins, Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities, Neighbourhoods and Streetscene, said: “This partnership was created in response to three tragic events which took place in our city - with the aim of cracking down on crime which blights our communities and ruins lives.

“Just two years on, and EVOLVE’s outcomes speak for themselves – in Liverpool our diverse success stories range from taking illegal vapes and counterfeit cigarettes off the streets, installing CCTV in key areas, right through to community clean-ups and education programmes.   

“Working together with Merseyside Police and other partners, means we can share resources and intelligence which ultimately make a real, positive difference to ­­­­residents and businesses which may otherwise be impacted by organised crime, and we look forward to seeing what more we can achieve in the future.”

Activity carried out by Knowsley Council services within the EVOLVE Liverpool-Knowsley area since its launch includes:

• Residents consulted on improvements to Jubilee Park, with plans drawn up
• Environmental health action days held in Page Moss tackling littering, fly tipping, graffiti, dog fouling and pest control
• Health roadshows visiting EVOLVE areas
• Local school children involved in cultural projects
• Major improvement works carried out at Primrose Court
• New children’s play equipment installed at Hillside Community Centre, as well as improvement works to the surrounding green spaces
• A number of community walkabouts organised by the Crime and Communities team in conjunction with partner agencies
• Seizure of 931 illegal vape products by Knowsley Trading Standards that led to two prosecutions
• Continued support to St Margaret Mary’s Catholic Junior School (School leavers pay tribute to Olivia Pratt-Korbel - Knowsley News)
• Multi-agency action days in the area
• Developed close links with Hillside Community Centre
• Supported the area to be a Crimestoppers site which has increased calls to Crimestoppers

Councillor Shelley Powell, Knowsley Borough Council's Cabinet Member for Communities and Neighbourhoods, said: "Serious and organised crime has no place in our communities.

"The EVOLVE campaign has already helped dismantle criminal enterprises in Knowsley and we will continue to work closely with partner agencies to ensure people feel safe and happy where they live, without the fear of organised crime disrupting their lives. 

"This ongoing commitment to our residents will not stop. We must continue to work together to tackle organised crime and leave criminals with nowhere left to turn."

Merseyside’s Police Commissioner Emily Spurrell added: “These figures speak for themselves. Clearly, since the launch of EVOLVE much has changed for these communities.

“Using fear and intimidation, these organised crime groups brought misery to the neighbourhoods in which they operated, cowardly hiding in these communities, often manipulating vulnerable people to do their bidding for them.

“These communities can now be assured that many of these criminals are behind bars for a very long time, and this needs to serve as a warning for any other individual considering getting involved in illegal activity.

“I want to thank Merseyside Police for their relentless pursuit of these illegal gangs and their robust action in clearing them from these communities.

“I also want to thank our partner organisations, who by working closely and cohesively with local policing teams, increased our ability to hold these communities, making it harder for these criminals to return.

“Lastly, I want to thank the good people who live in these areas. Their resilience, passion and dedication is helping to increase a feeling of safety and belonging, building their neighbourhoods back into places where people love to live, work and play.”

Other successes of EVOLVE Liverpool-Knowsley include:

• The distribution of £100,000 seized from criminals to community groups in Liverpool and Knowsley in a participatory event last June to help provide activities for young and vulnerable people, tackle County Lines and improve the area
• Ongoing work with The Big Help Project to secure funding to tackle an area of land in Dovecot that has become an environmental blight with fly tipping and rats and has also been used to hide weapons. Future plans for the land include growing produce to assist with poverty crisis
• Everton in the Community and LFC Foundation have been delivering a weekly PL Kicks session at Lord Derby Academy since July 4,2023 and have supported around 100 young people during this time, engaging them in a wide range of positive activities and providing them with a safe place to be with the aim of keeping them off the streets and away from negative influences
• Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service have continued to complete routine activities such as Home Fire Safety Checks, hydrant walks, business visits, taken part in partner days of action as well as working hard to reduce ASB related incidents in the area
• Housing associations in the area have also been working hard to reduce ASB and provide brighter futures for residents.

EVOLVE's Silence is Not an Option campaign aims to educate people about the signs of gang activity and encourage reporting to break the cycle of gang crime by making an anonymous report to Crimestoppers.

To learn more and make an online report, where only you will know you made a report, see here: Give information 100% anonymously about organised crime in Merseyside | Crimestoppers (crimestoppers-uk.org)

Alternatively, anyone with information about crime can call Merseyside Police on 101, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.