Merseyside Police launches Winter of Action initiative to help keep streets safe during and after the festive season

With Christmas just around the corner and people across Merseyside looking forward to enjoying festive cheer in town centres and in the city, Merseyside Police is launching its Winter of Action.  

The initiative, which takes place between 1 December and 31 January 2026, is a major policing push to keep town centres safe during and beyond the festive season by tackling crime, reassuring communities, and ensuring our high streets are welcoming and safe for everyone.

To shows its commitment to the plan, Merseyside Police gathered with representatives from local authorities and the Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell at Everton Park to mark the start of the coming months of close partnership working. 

Chief Inspector David Uren, Winter of Action lead, explained what the public can expect to be different this Christmas than in previous years:

“People in Merseyside have, rightly, come to expect us to prioritise seasonal crime types when December comes around. 

“It’s absolutely standard at this time of year for us to be taking focused, targeted actions to ensure our town centres are safe for those enjoying the festive season and post-Christmas sales, whether that be shopping, dining or enjoying the pubs and clubs across Merseyside.

“Around Christmas we can, sadly, potentially see an increase in some crime types, such as cyber-crime, retail crime, drug and drink driving, burglary, and domestic abuse. We always dedicate extra resources at this time of year to those areas, to try and prevent it impacting our communities. 

“What’s different this year is what we’re committing to beyond that. In-line with forces nationally, we’re looking past Christmas to a full Winter of Action.

“We’ll be intensifying our work on knife-crime, Violence Against Women and Girls, Antisocial Behaviour, illegal off-road bikes and robbery.  We’re determined not to lose momentum on any of the progress we’ve worked so hard to deliver for our communities in 2025.

“To be completely clear, the public should still expect our seasonal crime focus to remain at the same standard they have come to expect. For example, Operation Limit will still be running – people around Merseyside should still be mindful of potential delays to journeys while officers drug wipe and breathalyse road users.  The public should still expect to see armed deployments in the city centre keeping people safe at Christmas markets and major events. 

“Winter of Action is all of that, plus more.” 

Emily Spurrell, Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside, said:

“This summer, through Safer Streets, we showed the power of partnership – from visible patrols to community engagement, we made real progress in reducing anti-social behaviour and increasing public confidence.

“Winter of Action builds on those achievements, taking that momentum into the festive season and beyond.

“Together with Merseyside Police, local councils, and our community partners, we will deliver targeted patrols, prevention measures, and youth diversion activities, all designed to keep our town centres safe and vibrant.

“This is about standing alongside our communities – listening to local voices, supporting businesses, and making sure everyone can enjoy the festive season feeling safe and supported.”

Local councils will be working alongside police to make town centres safer and more welcoming. They use local powers like licensing and planning to support enforcement, deploy tools such as Public Spaces Protection Orders and Community Protection Notices to tackle antisocial behaviour, and improve public spaces through better lighting and cleanliness.  These support our priority which is to keep communities safe.  

Merseyside Police will be posting regular Winter of Action updates on social media and is encouraging the public to follow along to see the work going on in their Local Policing Area. 

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