Merseyside Police launches new initiative to reduce knife crime

Today (11 November 2024) marks the launch of Sceptre, the national week of action targeting knife crime for police forces across the UK.

With the busy festive season drawing near, November’s week of action focuses on knife-enabled robbery, to reduce the impact this high-harm crime has on local communities.  

A number of operations and initiatives, aimed at keeping the public safe from robbery and knife-related offences, will be running this week:

• High visibility uniformed patrols day and night, in focused areas, including open land searches and weapon sweeps
• Knife arches to detect concealed weapons in high footfall areas
• Targeted stop and search with a focus on monitoring individuals with live Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs)
• Bike marking events where the public can get their bike protected for free
• Test purchase operations across the region with our Police Cadets, to check retailers are following age restricted sales guidance in relation to knives
• 10 drop off points for the public to surrender a knife or offensive weapon
• Engagement with schools about the dangers of carrying a knife

During the week, officers from Merseyside Police will continue their work to tackle knife related crime and use it as an opportunity to educate the public on the dangers of carrying a weapon.

The public can also hand in a knife, bladed article or other offensive weapon safely at 10 police stations across Liverpool, St Helens, Knowsley, Sefton and Wirral. Every knife surrendered is one less potentially dangerous weapon on the streets of Merseyside.

On Friday (15 November), the #kNOwKnifeCrime campaign, led by Laura Hughes, will be holding an event for schools, alongside Cash for Kids and the LFC Foundation. The youth-focused anti-knife crime initiative will be donating lifesaving KnifeSavers bleed control kits to secondary schools across the region. The Force’s Safer Schools Team are supporting this important event which will highlight the ongoing work to prevent knife crime and educate young people about the dangers of weapons.

KnifeSavers originates from the Liverpool University Hospitals Foundation Trust and is led by trauma surgeon Nikhil Misra, who is the health lead for Merseyside’s Violence Reduction Partnership. Their campaign focuses on educating young people about the dangers and consequences of carrying a knife, as well as educating and empowering the general public on how to act quickly to control major bleeding from any injury.

Uniformed officers will be deployed across Merseyside to deter offenders and provide reassurance to the local community, with a particular focus in hotspot areas where high-harm crimes such as robbery are most likely to occur.

These patrols have led to a 48.6% reduction in all serious violent crime (139 less offences) across the 25 hotspot areas in Merseyside this financial year. Personal robbery has fell by 60% (90 less offences).

High value items such as bikes and E-bikes are often targeted and stolen by criminals. The Force has a targeted operation in place to disrupt these offences and officers are proactively checking bikes on Bike Register to see if they have been reported as lost or stolen. 

Officers have also registered 1,250 bikes this year and have worked with bike retailers to promote the benefits of marking bikes at the point of sale.

Across Merseyside, knife crime and robbery offences decreased by 6.56% and 14.96% respectively for the year ending June 2024 compared with the previous 12 months (Office of National Statistics).

Superintendent Phil Mullally, Merseyside’s Lead for Serious Violence and Knife Crime said:

 “We know that being a victim of robbery can be a frightening experience and can have a long-lasting impact.

“That’s why we use a range of tactics from covert operations, high visibility patrols to working with partners to share crime prevention advice.

“Seeing the substantial fall in personal robbery within our targeted patrol areas, but also across Merseyside shows that our operations are working, and our hard work is having an impact.

“However, we know that one robbery is one too many so we will continue to drive forward with our work to tackle this crime and bring offenders to justice.

“Carrying or arming yourself with a knife for any type of crime will not be tolerated. These offences will always be investigated fully by our teams, with the safeguarding of victims a priority.

“With more people out and about leading up to festive period, it is more important than ever that people remain vigilant. If you do become a victim of a robbery, please report it to us straight away by calling 999 in an emergency or 101.”

Merseyside Police Commissioner Emily Spurrell said:

“Sadly, we know all too well the devastating consequences knife crime has on victims, their loved ones, and the communities in which they live.  

“Preventing and tackling knife crime is a top priority for Merseyside Police and figures show incidents have reduced in the past year by more than 6%. Whilst this is a welcome decline, and a testament to the hard work of officers, our Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership (MVRP) and other partner organisations, we will not rest on our laurels.

“We know, enforcement alone isn’t the answer and that is why our MVRP is committed to funding initiatives that educate young people on the dire outcomes carrying a knife can have, while also focusing on the root causes of serious violence.

“By empowering our young people through innovative initiatives, we can change outcomes and prevent incidents from happening in the first place. This is critical to our work and how we go about reducing violent crime in the years to come.

“There is never a valid reason to carry a knife and each one surrendered is one less on our streets so I would appeal to you directly to hand offensive weapons in at one of the designated drop off points across Merseyside.

“Alternatively, if you suspect somebody may be carrying a knife then I would urge you to speak out, you can do so anonymously, and by doing so you may just help to save a life.”

Keep yourself safe. You can reduce your risk of being a target of robbery if you:

• Look confident, move with purpose, and remain aware of your surroundings. 
• Plan your route and think about what to take with you, especially if you’re going somewhere you haven’t been before.
• Keep to busy, well-lit streets, walkways and paths which are more likely to be covered by CCTV.
• Use licensed taxis or minicabs booked by phone or on an app.
• Keep your mobile phone and valuables out of sight. If you’re using your phone, it’s more likely to be snatched from your hand as you’re not paying attention to your surroundings, so look around you.
• Remember not to leave your mobile phone, any other device, wallet, or purse on the table of an outdoor café, pub, or restaurant. The same applies for any jewellery you might be wearing – keep it covered when walking down the street.
• Own a bike? Protect it. Register your bike on BikeRegister and you could be reunited with it, in the event of it being stolen. Visit bikeregister.com/join.
• Register your phone on immobilise.com and keep a note of your IMEI number by dialling *#06# – if it’s stolen, the police may be able to recover it.
• If you’re threatened with violence, don’t risk your personal safety. Property can be replaced, you can’t.
• Report it straight away. If a crime is in progress call 999. 

If you have information about someone carrying a knife, or know someone involved in crime, you can report any concerns on 999 if a crime is in progress, via 101, or our social media desk via X on @MerPolCC. You can also pass information via Crimestoppers anonymously. 

Anyone affected by crime can request support from the Victim Care Merseyside Hub by calling Freephone 0808 175 3080 on weekdays between 8am and 6pm. 

Find more information on the Merseyside Police website.

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