£300,000 funding boost secured to further improve safety in Liverpool city centre

Liverpool city centre is set to benefit from a major safety investment, thanks to a £300,000 funding boost secured by Merseyside’s Police and Crime Commissioner and Merseyside Police to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour in the heart of the city.

The Hyper-Local Policing Fund, awarded by the Home Office, will support a series of targeted interventions in four high-priority zones - Chavasse Park, St George’s Quarter, Ropewalks and Mathew Street – focused on preventing knife crime, violence and robbery, while improving public safety.

The funding will support a new hyper-local approach and will see a range of problem-solving initiatives put in place, including:

• Dedicated police operations focused on pursuing offenders and proactively targeting intelligence to disrupt criminal activity.
• Environmental upgrades like improved lighting and community clean-up operations.
• Installing speakers in hotspot areas to play classical music as a proven tactic to discourage loitering, vandalism and graffiti.
• Youth outreach and diversion initiatives, including Positive Pathways, aimed at reducing youth crime, building emotional resilience, and creating safer, more connected communities.
• Technological interventions such as extra CCTV cover and operators, working in partnership with City Watch
• Night-time economy safety measures, including taxi marshalling during busy night-time hours and spiking prevention.
• A ‘Village Angels’ street-based intervention led by the LGBT Foundation who patrol, triage and stabilise vulnerable people.
• Additional support put in place for vulnerable individuals, including training for bar and door staff to help make the night time economy safer through Operation Halo, particularly for women and girls.

The initiative will also introduce cross-zone safety infrastructure, such as Help Points linked to City Watch CCTV systems and improved signage to provide rapid support and reassurance in high-footfall areas.

The programme will look to build on and enhance the work being delivered with funding from the Hotspot Action Fund, which last year resulted in a 28.8% reduction in serious crime in 25 key areas across Merseyside.

Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (23 October 2025) show knife-enabled crime in Merseyside fell by 8% in the year ending June 2025 – down to 1,179 offences from 1,276 the previous year. Nationally, knife-enabled crime dropped by 5%.

First launched in 2021, this policing initiative is now running in 29 areas across Merseyside after the Police and Crime Commissioner, Emily Spurrell, and Merseyside Police secured a further £2.39m to continue the work during 2024/25. This funding will support more than 21,000 hours of high-visibility patrols by uniformed officers and PCSOs in areas identified as having the highest levels of violent crime and antisocial behaviour.

The funding boost coincides with Merseyside Police’s Winter of Action operation, running throughout the festive season and into the New Year. This proactive campaign targets crime, reassures communities, and ensures high streets remain safe and welcoming for all.

Merseyside’s Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell said: “We are determined to ensure Liverpool city centre is a safe, welcoming space for everyone. This new Hyper-Local funding will help us to build on our successful hotspot policing initiative and gives us the opportunity to do even more to prevent crime.

“With this new investment, we are going to put in place targeted, practical measures to tackle the issues that matter most to people right in the heart of the city.

“By working closely with our partners, we’re putting long-term solutions in place that protect people, support retailers and businesses, and create a safer environment. Together, we’re making sure Liverpool city centre remains a vibrant place where residents, businesses, and visitors feel safe and proud.”

Merseyside Police’s Superintendent Phil Mullally, lead for serious violence and knife crime said: “Thanks to the support of this Hyper-Local funding, we’re strengthening our presence in key city centre areas – including Chavasse Park, St George’s Quarter, Ropewalks and Mathew Street.

“Building on our ongoing hotspot policing initiative, we will deliver targeted enforcement operations against offenders while working closely with partners and communities to address the underlying causes of crime and antisocial behaviour.

“Anyone who brings violence, criminality, or weapons onto our streets will face firm action. There is no place for this behaviour, and we will use every tool available to protect the public and uphold the law.

“The city centre remains a safe and welcoming place, and these measures build on the excellent work carried out all year round by police and partners to keep it that way. This is about creating safer, more vibrant spaces for everyone who lives, works, and visits our city.”

Councillor Laura Robertson-Collins, Cabinet Member for Communities, Neighbourhoods and Streetscene said: “This investment will help us keep Liverpool’s streets safe, clean and inviting for all. By working closely with Merseyside Police and the Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner, we can concentrate efforts in the areas that need the most attention, tackling antisocial behaviour while making improvements to the local environment.

“Together, we’re ensuring Liverpool remains a welcoming place for residents, businesses and visitors.”