Neighbourhoods across Merseyside to recieve dedicated policing teams following government funding

Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell is welcoming a pledge from Government that will see every neighbourhood across Merseyside receive a dedicated and specialist neighbourhood policing team with guaranteed police patrols in busy areas, such as town centres, at peak times.

The new measures announced by the Prime Minister, will see the delivery of neighbourhood policing across Merseyside boosted by an additional £6.6m of Government funding, that Sir Keir Starmer pledges will put bobbies back on the beat, increasing community safety, whilst restoring confidence and trust in local policing.

The investment supports the delivery of the Government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee to provide a more visible and engaging policing presence, building relationships with local people and businesses to solve problems and to tackle the issues blighting local communities.

The pledge from The Home Office will see an extra 97 police officers on the streets of Merseyside, over the next year, with a grant worth a total of £6.665m to cover the boost in workforce.

Providing visible and accessible community policing is a priority that is shared by Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell and the Chief Constable and the commitment from the Government to invest further in neighbourhood policing will build on and enhance the successful work that is ongoing that has seen an 8% reduction in all types of crime in the past twelve months.

As a voice for the people of Merseyside, the Commissioner will hold the Chief Constable to account to oversee and ensure Merseyside Police delivers on this guarantee so that the policing needs of each community are met effectively.

Merseyside’s Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell said:

“This is fantastic news for everyone who lives, works and visits Merseyside and I’m sure our communities will join me in welcoming the Government’s commitment to put a designated policing team in every neighbourhood across the county as well as increasing patrols during busy times in hotspot areas.

“Residents and businesses deserve to feel safe and have made it clear, time and again, that they want to see more police on our streets, with local knowledge, dealing with the problems that cause them most concern, in a timely and efficient manner and as Commissioner this is something I have promised to deliver.

“The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee is an opportunity to reconnect policing with the communities they serve, helping to restore the trust and confidence that is vital if we are to continue policing by consent, and I am determined our extra quota of officers in Merseyside will deliver results that can be seen and felt by our communities.

“It is vital our officers are approachable, understand their communities innately and use their unique knowledge and skills to swiftly address the needs of their communities, creating safer and more connected neighbourhoods. 

“I will work closely with the Chief Constable to ensure our deployment of these new recruits makes our communities in Merseyside safer and stronger and will support our prevention work to disrupt the revolving door of crime.”

Nationally, the Government has allocated £200m for Neighbourhood Policing which will fund the recruitment of an additional 13,000 police officers, community support officers and special constables across England and Wales in Neighbourhood Policing roles.

The measures announced today include:

• Each neighbourhood will have named, contactable officers to tackle the issues facing their communities, helping to restore trust that policing is working to keep people safe and meaning no community feels ignored when they need help.
• Every neighbourhood in England and Wales will have dedicated teams who will spend their time on the beat with guaranteed police patrols in town centres and other hotspot areas at peak times such as Friday and Saturday nights. 
• A dedicated antisocial behaviour lead in every force, working with residents and businesses to develop tailored action plans to tackle record levels of antisocial behaviour, which is blighting communities.

Find out more on the Merseyside Police website.

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