Merseyside's Violence Reduction Partnership is built on the belief that all communities have the right to be free from violence in order to provide the best life chances for all.
This important group works together to address the underlying causes of serious violence and prevent it from happening in the first place.
What is Merseyside's Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP)
Merseyside's VRP is helping the government to deliver its Serious Violence Strategy, (published in 2018), in response to national increases in knife crime, gun crime and homicide.
In total, 20 Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) were established across England and Wales.
In Merseyside we renamed ours, because we believe the word ‘partnership’ reflects the way we work and approach this challenge.
Police and Crime Commissioners lead on commissioning these multi-agency units in their areas, bringing together strategic partners to deliver system-wide interventions to prevent and reduce crime.
The VRP brings together the Police and Crime Commissioner, Merseyside Police, Merseyside Fire and Rescue, local government, National Probation Service and the county’s Youth Offending Service, health and education professionals, community leaders and other key partners.
Our Mission 
We accept that it’s not possible for law enforcement alone to reduce serious violence, and the problem needs a broad pool of expertise.
As one team, it creates a powerful hive mind that draws upon expertise from a broad range of sectors. Together, this creates a ‘public health approach’, which allows us to identify the root causes of serious violence and potential remedies with a wide-angle lens.
Introducing Merseyside's VRP