Merseyside Police commit to invest in crime prevention with new force teams

“We are never going to arrest our way out of this problem."
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Merseyside Police and partners are pledging their commitment to invest in crime prevention with new force teams and a new force approach. When Serena Kennedy became Chief Constable, she was adamant that prevention would play a pivotal role in reducing crime.

Prevention is about reducing harm in our communities by understanding and addressing the root causes then thinking about new or different ways to stop crime from being committed. Funding for community outreach comes from the roceeds of Crime Act, which redistributes funds confiscated from criminals

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Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said: “Merseyside police is a big force we’ve got over 6,500 staff, we carry out many roles. We’ve got lots of people who are carrying out enforcement, the relentless pursuit of criminals who blight the lives of our community will always be a priority.

“It will always be a priority for my staff to use their powers to arrest people to put them through the criminal justice system where it’s appropriate, but if we don’t start to focus on prevention to get up stream of demand - before people even become victims, before people come offenders - we are never going to arrest our way out of this problem.”

Merseyside’s Police Commissioner Emily Spurrell said: “The best way to build stronger, safer communities is to prevent crime from happening in the first place.”

Liverpool FA have already benefited from working with the police after they delivered a course for girls aged 15-18 using football as the catalyst for engagement.

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More than 120 young women from across Merseyside received free football training from Liverpool County FA, LFC Foundation and Everton in the Community to help deter them from crime and develop vital life skills.

Taking place in summer 2022 and coinciding with the lionesses’ historic win at the 2022 Euros, the ‘She Inspires’ tournament engaged females aged 15-18, from areas where diversionary activities would have the biggest impact.

Funded by the Chief Constable of Merseyside, the Police and Crime Commissioner and the MerseysideViolence Reduction Partnership, the sessions ran in areas where young women and girls could be at risk of being drawn into criminal activities.

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