LEVELS of recorded crime have fallen on Merseyside, according to figures out this week.

The Office of National Statistics (ONS) released an annual report on Thursday (October 24) showing crime statistics for all police forces across England and Wales for the year ending June 2024, which showed crime had fallen by 2.8 per cent on average.

But in Merseyside, that figure was 15.23 per cent compared with the previous 12 months.

The breakdown for the following crimes shows that some crimes were cut by more than a quarter:

  • Violence against the person offences reduced by 7.13%
  • Violence with injury decreased by 11.10%
  • Robbery offences fell by 14.96%
  • Cyber Crime decreased by 27.83%
  • Sexual offences dropped by 9.01%, a drop of 402 offences on the previous year
  • Domestic abuse offences decreased by 19.28%, falling by more than 6,000
  • Knife Crime decreased by 6.56% in Merseyside
  • Burglary offences saw a 16.89% reduction, 949 less than the previous year
  • Vehicle offences fell by 10.84%

Responding to the statistics, Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said: "I am so proud to see that the hard work put in by officers day in, day out has reaped such rewards.

"We had similarly positive news earlier this year, and it is great to see that those reductions have been sustained.

"These statistics are not simply numbers on a page – they represent thousands of people across Merseyside being spared the pain and suffering crime can bring.

"While much of our work is about bringing offenders to justice and making sure they are punished for their crimes, our focus is also on preventing offending in the first place, and ultimately protecting our communities.

“An increased police presence in hotspot areas, stop searches and intelligence-led warrants all help take weapons out of the hands of criminals, stop prolific burglars in their tracks and send a strong message to would-be offenders.

“Officers at Merseyside Police are completely committed to putting the public first, preventing and detecting crime in Merseyside so people who live, work and visit here can feel safe.”

Chief Constable Kennedy added: "Burglary devastates victims in our communities, and leaves people feeling scared in the very place they should feel safest.

"The fact burglaries are down by nearly 17 per cent, thanks largely to focussed activity under Operation Castle, means at least 949 less people finding their homes have been violated by burglars.

"Sexual offences have an absolutely devastating and lifelong impact on victims, so it is very encouraging to see that sexual offences have decreased by 402 offences (nine per cent).

“Domestic abuse has fallen by nearly a fifth, with reports falling by more than 6,000.

"Domestic abuse can happen to anyone, and we have specially trained officers who will listen to you and support you with sensitivity and compassion.

"We have a number of tools at our disposal to prevent domestic abuse, including protective orders and strike days to target perpetrators.

“I want to be clear that these reductions across the board are not a cause for celebration or complacency. While we still have people suffering at the hands of offenders in Merseyside, we will continue our efforts to protect the public.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all officers and staff at Merseyside Police whose commitment to protecting the communities of Merseyside is clearly helping to drive down criminality."