Key National Priorities for policing: Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner

Through the National Policing Board, the Home Secretary sets out four strategic policing pillars:

A relentless focus on cutting crime;
A resilient workforce;
Stronger, more diverse leadership;
Ensuring we are trusted by the public to work together as one;

These priorities provide a framework for activity and will be used to structure future meetings of the National Policing Board and track progress against these pillars.

Under the pillar, “A relentless focus on cutting crime” are the new National Crime and Policing Measures. These set out the Government’s key national priorities on crime and the measures fall under the following headings:

Reduce Murder and other Homicides;
Reduce Serious Violence;
Disrupt drugs supply and county lines;
Reduce neighbourhood crime;
Tackle cyber crime;
Improve satisfaction among victims – with a particular focus on victims of domestic abuse.

These measures will provide national accountability and collective responsibility. From a local perspective it will be important for a PCC to be able to explain to the public how their force performs against these measures. These measures are designed to show a general decline in the recorded number of offences over the longer term, rather than a sharp decline in the recorded number of offences over a shorter period.

Update April 2024

Priority area	REDUCE MURDER AND HOMICIDE
National Metrics and data source	Homicides – Police Recorded
Crime levels and time period	Financial year to date (April 23 – December 24) shows that 6 homicides have taken place in this period. This is a decrease of 72% in the number of homicides that have taken place compared to the same period in the previous financial year. The long-term trend reflects a decreasing trajectory in the number of Homicides recorded.
Response	A significant proportion of homicides within the force area are related to Serious and Organised Crime. The force has laid out a homicide prevention strategy, for which Serious and Organised Crime is a key priority. Through this strategy, Merseyside Police has a strong focus on firearms and targeting Serious and Organised Crime groups through a variety of overt and covert means. Knife-enabled homicide has been on a decreasing trend over the last eight years. We have seen a decreasing trend for hospital admissions for assaults with a knife or sharp object. We continue to work with our partners to tackle the blight that knives cause through our work within the Violence Reduction Partnership. Domestic related homicides continue to feature within the Merseyside Homicide picture. Tackling domestic abuse, coercion and control is a key priority for Merseyside Police and our partners

Priority area

REDUCE MURDER AND HOMICIDE

National Metrics and data source

Homicides – Police Recorded

Crime levels and time period

Financial year to date (April 23 – December 24) shows that 6 homicides have taken place in this period. This is a decrease of 72% in the number of homicides that have taken place compared to the same period in the previous financial year. The long-term trend reflects a decreasing trajectory in the number of Homicides recorded.

Response

A significant proportion of homicides within the force area are related to Serious and Organised Crime. The force has laid out a homicide prevention strategy, for which Serious and Organised Crime is a key priority. Through this strategy, Merseyside Police has a strong focus on firearms and targeting Serious and Organised Crime groups through a variety of overt and covert means.

Knife-enabled homicide has been on a decreasing trend over the last eight years. We have seen a decreasing trend for hospital admissions for assaults with a knife or sharp object.

We continue to work with our partners to tackle the blight that knives cause through our work within the Violence Reduction Partnership. Domestic related homicides continue to feature within the Merseyside Homicide picture. Tackling domestic abuse, coercion and control is a key priority for Merseyside Police and our partners

Priority area	REDUCE SERIOUS VIOLENCE
National metrics and data source	Hospital admissions of under 25s for assault with a sharp object – NHS Offences involving discharge of a firearm – Police recorded
Crimes levels and time period	For victims under the age of 25, being admitted to hospital for assaults with a knife or sharp object, we have seen significant decreases in volumes compared to the previous years. The data for this includes where a firearm has been fired, used as a blunt instrument against a person or used as a threat. Offences involving air weapons are not included in the datasets. Imitation firearms include replica weapons, as well as low powered weapons which fire small plastic pellets, such as BB Guns and soft air weapons.
Response	Merseyside Police has been allocated £1.9 million share of GRIP funding from the Home Office to deliver ‘Hotspot Policing’ in areas that are most impacted by serious violence. Merseyside police will use a range of tactics including High Visibility Disruption and High Visibility randomised control policing tactics. The aim of these tactics is to take control of serious violence in key locations and neighbourhoods that are most affected by serious violence an knife crime. These areas will be identified and evaluated by using a data led approach. Funding from the Home Office has enabled Merseyside Police to set up a Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP). Working in partnership with other statutory agencies and the third sector to create a public health approach that identifies the root causes of serious violence and potential remedies. This is provided through the delivery of projects to young people to divert them away from harm.

Priority area

REDUCE SERIOUS VIOLENCE

National metrics and data source

Hospital admissions of under 25s for assault with a sharp object – NHS

Offences involving discharge of a firearm – Police recorded

Crimes levels and time period

For victims under the age of 25, being admitted to hospital for assaults with a knife or sharp object, we have seen significant decreases in volumes compared to the previous years.

The data for this includes where a firearm has been fired, used as a blunt instrument against a person or used as a threat. Offences involving air weapons are not included in the datasets. Imitation firearms include replica weapons, as well as low powered weapons which fire small plastic pellets, such as BB Guns and soft air weapons.

Response

Merseyside Police has been allocated £1.9 million share of GRIP funding from the Home Office to deliver ‘Hotspot Policing’ in areas that are most impacted by serious violence. Merseyside police will use a range of tactics including High Visibility Disruption and High Visibility randomised control policing tactics. The aim of these tactics is to take control of serious violence in key locations and neighbourhoods that are most affected by serious violence an knife crime. These areas will be identified and evaluated by using a data led approach.

Funding from the Home Office has enabled Merseyside Police to set up a Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP). Working in partnership with other statutory agencies and the third sector to create a public health approach that identifies the root causes of serious violence and potential remedies. This is provided through the delivery of projects to young people to divert them away from harm.

Priority area	DISRUPT DRUG SUPPLY AND COUNTY LINES
National metrics and data source	Drug related homicides – Police recorded Police referrals into drug treatment – Public Health England
Crime levels and time period	Awaiting Public Health figures for police referrals into drug treatment.
Response	Merseyside remains the second largest national exporter of county lines, The exported threat from Merseyside remains primarily concentrated in the North West region, which accounts for up to 80% of the region’s active County Lines. Subsequently, County Lines is a high priority for the force, and demand is focused on problem solving, continuously improving, and developing new initiatives and activity that support this. Project Medusa, Merseyside’s response to tackling county lines, has seen huge successes. Since April 2023 until December 2023, has closed 196 County Lines and seized a total of £486,4201 in cash. The project will continue to deliver on the county lines agenda. The Home Office has provided additional funding to target County lines during 2023-24 and to target the highest harm County Lines exported from Merseyside impacting upon other forces. On Merseyside there are a number of operations and tactics in place referred to as ‘Force Operations’ which aim to address the challenges of drug offending and county lines. In addition, Merseyside have also been provided with funding to work with three of the five local authority areas to deliver Operation Adder. This project will support a whole system approach that enhances local enforcement, diversionary activities, treatment, and recovery provision in relation to drugs.

Priority area

DISRUPT DRUG SUPPLY AND COUNTY LINES

National metrics and data source

Drug related homicides – Police recorded

Police referrals into drug treatment – Public Health England

Crime levels and time period

Awaiting Public Health figures for police referrals into drug treatment.

Response

Merseyside remains the second largest national exporter of county lines, The exported threat from Merseyside remains primarily concentrated in the North West region, which accounts for up to 80% of the region’s active County Lines. Subsequently, County Lines is a high priority for the force, and demand is focused on problem solving, continuously improving, and developing new initiatives and activity that support this.

Project Medusa, Merseyside’s response to tackling county lines, has seen huge successes. Since April 2023 until December 2023, has closed 196 County Lines and seized a total of £486,4201 in cash. The project will continue to deliver on the county lines agenda.

The Home Office has provided additional funding to target County lines during 2023-24 and to target the highest harm County Lines exported from Merseyside impacting upon other forces.

On Merseyside there are a number of operations and tactics in place referred to as ‘Force Operations’ which aim to address the challenges of drug offending and county lines.

In addition, Merseyside have also been provided with funding to work with three of the five local authority areas to deliver Operation Adder. This project will support a whole system approach that enhances local enforcement, diversionary activities, treatment, and recovery provision in relation to drugs.

REDUCE NEIGHBOURHOOD CRIME
Priority area	IMPROVE SATISFACTION AMONG VICTIMS, WITH A PARTICULAR FOCUS ON VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC ABUSE (DA)
National metrics and data source	Burglary, robbery, theft of and from a vehicle, theft from a person – Crime Survey for England and Wales
Crime levels and time period	Force Recorded Crime Data - April 2023 - Dec 2023 Burglary – FYTD 17.63% decrease compared to same period in previous year Robbery – FYTD 2.08% decrease compared to same period in previous year Theft of and from a vehicle – FYTD 11.37% decrease compared to same period in previous year Theft from a person - FYTD 20.37% decreased compared to same period in previous year
Response	A goal of Local Policing is to ensure the whole Force adopts a problem-solving approach as it shifts towards a more preventive stance. With prevention being one of Merseyside Police Chief Constables priorities for the police service. The team established a multi-agency approach to not only comprehend the challenges within the local areas but to develop long-term solutions for tackling these issues. Over the next four years, the Problem-Solving Team will ensure the whole Force adopts a problem-solving approach to policing and aims to replicate its successes across all strands.

National metrics and data source	Satisfaction with the police among victims of domestic abuse – Crime Survey for England and Wales Victim satisfaction with the Police – Crime Survey for England and Wales
Crime levels and time period	We have used local force data while we await the latest Crime Survey of England and Wales data. All outcomes – whole experience 70% satisfied
Response	In 2018 Merseyside Police launched a new DA User Insight survey, which offers victims an opportunity to provide feedback that can be provided to all staff that engage with DA victims to improve case outcomes. Merseyside Police have also developed two surveys which assist them in gaining invaluable insight into how our crime victims feel about the service provided. The first being a General Crime Survey. This asks specific questions relating to five key service areas namely, Ease of Contact; Action Taken; Treatment; Follow Up and Whole Experience. The second survey specifically surveys victims of Domestic Abuse and focuses on identical key stages of services. The feedback received permits us to address any shortfalls in service swiftly and appropriately whilst ensuring that all our crime victims are dealt with sensitively and professionally. These outcomes are monitored on a quarterly basis through the PCCs Scrutiny meeting.

Priority area	TACKLE CYBER CRIME
National metrics and data Source	Confidence in the law enforcement response to cyber-crime – Cyber Awareness Tracker Percentage of businesses experiencing a cyber breach or attack – Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Survey
Crime levels and time period	Force level recorded crime data used until national data available April 2022 to Sept 2022 compared with April 2023 to Sept 2023 saw a 36% decrease in Fraud and computer misuse offences reported to Merseyside Police.
Response	As we increasingly rely on technology and spend greater proportions of our lives online, criminals seek to exploit whatever digital opportunities they can. Fraud and cyber related offences are growing rapidly Nationally and on Merseyside we have experienced increases in Cyber Crime however, this has been on an upward trend for some years, in line with the changing culture of criminality and increased use of technology in committing crime. The Force consistently searches for new approaches to address Cyber Crime by making the best use of technology and working with other agencies such as the Home Office, and Technical Companies to consider the volume of data that the Force is managing because of this crime type to design a response that enables investigators to process, evaluate and understand the data more quickly, efficiently and in a more cost-effective way.

Priority area

TACKLE CYBER CRIME

National metrics and data Source

Confidence in the law enforcement response to cyber-crime – Cyber Awareness Tracker

Percentage of businesses experiencing a cyber breach or attack – Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Survey

Crime levels and time period

Force level recorded crime data used until national data available

April 2022 to Sept 2022 compared with April 2023 to Sept 2023 saw a 36% decrease in Fraud and computer misuse offences reported to Merseyside Police.

Response

As we increasingly rely on technology and spend greater proportions of our lives online, criminals seek to exploit whatever digital opportunities they can. Fraud and cyber related offences are growing rapidly Nationally and on Merseyside we have experienced increases in Cyber Crime however, this has been on an upward trend for some years, in line with the changing culture of criminality and increased use of technology in committing crime.

The Force consistently searches for new approaches to address Cyber Crime by making the best use of technology and working with other agencies such as the Home Office, and Technical Companies to consider the volume of data that the Force is managing because of this crime type to design a response that enables investigators to process, evaluate and understand the data more quickly, efficiently and in a more cost-effective way.