Merseyside Police’s mass crackdown on organised crime after shocking murders

Two weeks on from the murder of Olivia Pratt-Korbel, Merseyside Police say they are taking a relentless approach to their crackdown on serious organised crime in the region.

Their operation, codenamed Operation Miller, has seen hundreds of arrests as well as the execution of warrants, seizure of vehicles and stop searches.

The move comes following a series of murders in the region, including the death of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel, who was gunned down in her Dovecot home.

"The events of recent weeks on Merseyside have been absolutely horrific,” says Detective Superintendent Andy O’Connor.

“The response that we've had from the public and the community relating to information and intelligence has been absolutely outstanding.

“We want to continue that relationship that we have with the communities of Merseyside going, to keep gathering that information to get the people involved in all of these events.”

“We want to reassure members the people of Merseyside, and beyond that actually, Merseyside is a safe place to live, to work and to visit."

More than making arrests

The force says their approach to tackling serious organised crime is a holistic one and that their work isn't just about arrests.

They use education to break that cycle of crime and stop young and vulnerable people from being drawn into criminality by crime groups.

Working with partners such as Everton in the Community and the LFC Foundation they provide funding to deliver key messages to people in communities.

DSI O'Connor said: "The grooming process that crime groups go through is the same process a sex offender may use to groom a victim. If you take the sexual assault out of the exploitation, it's exactly the same."

Shootings in Liverpool

Prior to recent fatal shootings that saw Olivia Pratt-Korbel, Ashley Dale and Sam Rimmer killed within a week, police say the number of firearms discharges and incidents had been decreasing in Merseyside.

Assistant Chief Constable Chris Green said: "One firearms discharge is one too many. We've seen horrific consequences of that this last year.

“We have seen the lowest number of firearms discharges across Merseyside for the past 20 years. That is a significant reduction in on our streets, and that's as a result of that whole system approach that we adopt against serious organised crime.

“We are relentless against those involved in organised crime."