Funding boost of £200k to help combat antisocial behaviour and serious violence

Cycle of Life offer a range of programmes where young people can learn cycle mechanics, functional skills and enterpise

New and improved CCTV, youth outreach activities, an extended taxi marshal service and new community spaces are some of the initiatives in Merseyside receiving a £200,000 cash injection to crack down on antisocial behaviour and serious violence.

Announced by Merseyside Police and the region’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Emily Spurrell, the funding has been made available from the Hotspot Response Fund, a government-backed initiative designed to address and reduce incidents of antisocial behaviour and serious violence in identified hotspot areas.

More than £200,000 has been awarded to a wide range of initiatives to date, with more to be announced in the new year. The funding coincides with increased high visibility foot patrols in hotspot areas across Merseyside, where there is an increased probability of serious violence and antisocial behaviour occurring.

This targeted activity and high visible presence will continue until at least March 2025 and aims to deter offenders and provide reassurance to the local community.

Officers engaging with the public during a high visibility hotspot patrol in Liverpool City Centre

The funding has been allocated towards measures proven to prevent neighbourhood crime, including the roll out of CCTV, improving City Watch schemes, supporting taxi marshalling and delivering community-led initiatives to prevent crime and help ensure suspicious activity is reported.

Since April 2024, serious violence has fallen by 48.6% within the 25 hotspot areas with 139 fewer offences recorded against the same period the year before (April-September), Antisocial behaviour has fallen by 12.1% with 149 fewer incidents recorded. All crime in hotspot areas is down by 10.6%.

This financial year (April-September 2024), officers have completed more than 3,600 foot patrol visits to antisocial behaviour and serious violence hotspot areas, thanks to funding from the Home Office.  

Superintendent Phil Mullally, lead for Serious Violence and Knife Crime said: “Our hotspot policing initiative sees officers deployed on high-visibility foot patrols across Merseyside. Through these very targeted, data-driven patrols, officers have listened to residents’ concerns and identified opportunities to improve the day-to-day safety of where they live.

“From new CCTV to taxi marshalling, youth sports programmes and transforming community spaces, the Hotspot Response Fund will support a wide range of measures focused on tackling and preventing antisocial behaviour and serious violence.

“While hotspot patrols form part of our policing response to these issues, we understand that a multi-agency approach is vital to creating impactful, long-term change. By partnering with local authorities, local BIDs, City Watch schemes and youth prevention organisations, we can collectively increase safety in communities and tackle antisocial behaviour and criminality together.

“While we have seen serious violence fall across Merseyside in recent years, we are never complacent because sadly we know all too well the devastation it brings. Through the wide range of measures announced today and ongoing work, we are determined to address the root causes and prevent serious violence.”

Perception Theatre is one of the organisations to receive funding to deliver theatre and interactive film to young people

Local Policing Inspector Andy Robinson, lead for Antisocial Behaviour, said: “I couldn’t be more pleased with the investment going into these youth outreach funds, encouraging young people into activities to keep them engaged and boost their skills.

“It’s so important that our young people have places to go and goals to aspire to – we see the difference it can make to levels of antisocial behaviour – and hope the public will notice the difference, too.

“We’ve always known how significant it is to our communities that we provide a visible policing presence. Not just in terms of antisocial behaviour deterrence – but people having a right to feel safe and secure. Having taxi marshals in place can give people that same sense of wellbeing. Waiting for a taxi, especially at night, is a situation people can feel quite vulnerable in and where we can see pockets of antisocial behaviour, so I’m incredibly hopeful for this initiative.”

Merseyside’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Emily Spurrell said: “Tackling serious violence and anti-social behaviour is a top priority for me and for Merseyside Police.

“There is a huge amount of work being done to prevent these abhorrent life-changing crimes and bring those responsible to justice and the reductions in crime we’ve seen are testament to the police and all our partners.

“Whilst the significant decreases in violence and ASB across our hotspot areas are very welcome, we know that there is still so much to be done in removing the scourge of serious violence from our communities.

“Through this cash injection our aim is to drive crime down even further – putting in place crime prevention initiatives which are proven to work in the neighbourhoods that need it most.

“People deserve to feel safe, in their homes, walking to the shops or coming back from work. These community-led measures are all signed to respond to the concerns of local people and increase their safety and their feelings of safety.

“I look forward to seeing how these wide-ranging initiatives prevent and reduce serious violence and ASB and create safer, happier communities across Merseyside.”

An overview of awarded bids by area:

Liverpool

• Taxi Marshals – A taxi marshal scheme, run by Liverpool City Council and Merseyside Police, helps people get home safely after a night out. Additional funding by the Hotspot Response Fund will extend the hours of the marshals at taxi ranks in the Ropewalks and Mathew Street areas by an extra two hours on Friday and Saturday nights (11:00 pm – 05:00 am). The marshals’ role is to manage queues, deter antisocial behaviour, reduce illegal pick-ups, and provide reassurance to members of the public.
  
  
• CCTV – In partnership with Liverpool City Council and City Watch, upgraded CCTV will be rolled out around Mathew Street in the city centre and on Maria Road in Walton, as part of ongoing efforts with partners to reduce criminal activity and serious violence. Extra funding will also increase the working hours of a City Watch CCTV operator, which is ran in partnership with Liverpool BID, to spot suspicious behaviour, catch more criminals and support residents and visitors. Additional funding is also being provided to the City Watch CCTV van, which will monitor hotspot areas for antisocial behaviour around Lodge Lane and surrounding streets.
  
  
• Crime Prevention – To help reduce crime and promote safer communities, All Saints Church on Sheil Road will receive funding to improve public areas of its grounds. ‘Designing out crime’, meaning to make changes to the environment, has been proven to address crime risks and support with crime prevention.
  
  
• Youth Futures – A variety of targeted youth engagement and intervention projects will be delivered by partners including Everton in the Community, Golden Gloves, Cycle of Life, Positive Pathways, The Breckfield Centre, Sports Alive, Anfield Boxing, Perception Theatre and Granby Toxteth Development Trust.

Sefton

• Ask for Angela – Working with Southport BID, Ask for Angela training will be delivered to staff working within the night-time economy. ‘Ask for Angela’ allows people who feel like they are in an unsafe or vulnerable situation to ask staff for help by using the code word ‘Angela’. Through the training, staff will be given an awareness of vulnerability and their responsibilities towards the public during their shifts and learn how to provide discreet help to members of the public.
  
  
• Community Engagement – The Local Policing team in Southport have received additional funding to support with proactive community engagement events for the year ahead. The events will be focused on addressing and offering crime prevention advice for issues such as antisocial behaviour and street robbery.

Wirral

• Youth Futures – Through the Hotspot Response Fund, a 16-week intervention programme will be delivered by youth charity Vibe in Birkenhead. Outreach workers will conduct interventions with young people aged 13 to 18 from the area. The programme will focus on themes including mental health, substance misuse, sexual health and anti-social behaviour, and signpost fun and safe diversionary activities.
  
  
• CCTV – In partnership with Wirral Council, a new CCTV camera will be installed in Birkenhead, as part of ongoing efforts with partners to reduce criminal activity and serious violence. The CCTV will cover Claughton Road and Birkenhead Bus Station and will be used to detect and prevent crime, as well as provide reassurance to members of the public.
  
  
• Transforming Spaces – An empty plot of land on Bentinck Street, Birkenhead will be transformed into a community garden and allotment by a group of local young people, with the support of not-for-profit organisation Grow Wellbeing. The young people will develop a range of skills, all while improving the environment where they live.

Knowsley

• Shop Watch – As part of the Shop Watch scheme in Knowsley, extra funding will provide radios to retailers and local businesses in Kirkby. The radio network will aim to provide a visible policing reassurance to businesses and help prevent and detect antisocial behaviour and retail-related crime.
  
  
• CCTV – In partnership with Knowsley Council, a new CCTV camera will be installed at Cherryfield Drive bus stop, as part of ongoing efforts with partners to reduce antisocial behaviour and criminal activity. The camera will integrate into the current Knowsley Council CCTV network and will be used to provide reassurance to members of the public and aid crime prevention.
  
  
• Youth Futures – Evolving Mindset CIC are an award-winning mental health organisation in Merseyside. The organisation runs a youth service in Prescot to engage with young people and to provide a safe space for them to enjoy activities. Additional funding by the Hotspot Response Fund will help the organisation reach even more young people from the area, helping them to build their confidence and make positive decisions for the future.

St Helens

• CCTV – In partnership with St Helens Council, five new CCTV cameras will be installed in St Helens, as part of ongoing efforts with partners to reduce criminal activity and serious violence. The locations of the new CCTV include the junctions of Cambridge Road, Boundary Road, Eccleston Street, Bank Street and Prescot Road. The cameras will integrate into the current St Helens Council CCTV network and will be used to provide reassurance to members of the public and aid crime prevention.