NEW CCTV, a community garden and a youth intervention programme will be coming to Wirral.

New and improved CCTV, youth outreach activities, an extended taxi marshal service and new community spaces are some of the initiatives in Merseyside receiving a £200,000 cash injection to crack down on antisocial behaviour and serious violence.

Announced by Merseyside Police and the region’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Emily Spurrell, the funding has been made available from the Hotspot Response Fund, a government-backed initiative designed to address and reduce incidents of antisocial behaviour and serious violence in identified hotspot areas.

More than £200,000 has been awarded to a wide range of initiatives to date, with more to be announced in the new year.

The funding coincides with increased high visibility foot patrols in hotspot areas across Merseyside, where there is an increased probability of serious violence and antisocial behaviour occurring.

This targeted activity and high visible presence will continue until at least March 2025 and aims to deter offenders and provide reassurance to the local community.

The funding has been allocated towards measures proven to prevent neighbourhood crime, including the roll out of CCTV, improving City Watch schemes, supporting taxi marshalling and delivering community-led initiatives to prevent crime and help ensure suspicious activity is reported.

Superintendent Phil Mullally, lead for Serious Violence and Knife Crime said: “Our hotspot policing initiative sees officers deployed on high-visibility foot patrols across Merseyside. Through these very targeted, data-driven patrols, officers have listened to residents’ concerns and identified opportunities to improve the day-to-day safety of where they live.

“From new CCTV to taxi marshalling, youth sports programmes and transforming community spaces, the Hotspot Response Fund will support a wide range of measures focused on tackling and preventing antisocial behaviour and serious violence.

“While hotspot patrols form part of our policing response to these issues, we understand that a multi-agency approach is vital to creating impactful, long-term change. By partnering with local authorities, local BIDs, City Watch schemes and youth prevention organisations, we can collectively increase safety in communities and tackle antisocial behaviour and criminality together.

“While we have seen serious violence fall across Merseyside in recent years, we are never complacent because sadly we know all too well the devastation it brings. Through the wide range of measures announced today and ongoing work, we are determined to address the root causes and prevent serious violence.”

Overview of awarded bids in Wirral:

  • Youth Futures – Through the Hotspot Response Fund, a 16-week intervention programme will be delivered by youth charity Vibe in Birkenhead. Outreach workers will conduct interventions with young people aged 13 to 18 from the area. The programme will focus on themes including mental health, substance misuse, sexual health and anti-social behaviour, and signpost fun and safe diversionary activities.
  • CCTV – In partnership with Wirral Council, a new CCTV camera will be installed in Birkenhead, as part of ongoing efforts with partners to reduce criminal activity and serious violence. The CCTV will cover Claughton Road and Birkenhead Bus Station and will be used to detect and prevent crime, as well as provide reassurance to members of the public.
  • Transforming Spaces – An empty plot of land on Bentinck Street, Birkenhead will be transformed into a community garden and allotment by a group of local young people, with the support of not-for-profit organisation Grow Wellbeing. The young people will develop a range of skills, all while improving the environment where they live.

Local Policing Inspector Andy Robinson, lead for Antisocial Behaviour, said: “I couldn’t be more pleased with the investment going into these youth outreach funds, encouraging young people into activities to keep them engaged and boost their skills.

“It’s so important that our young people have places to go and goals to aspire to – we see the difference it can make to levels of antisocial behaviour – and hope the public will notice the difference, too.

“We’ve always known how significant it is to our communities that we provide a visible policing presence. Not just in terms of antisocial behaviour deterrence – but people having a right to feel safe and secure. Having taxi marshals in place can give people that same sense of wellbeing. Waiting for a taxi, especially at night, is a situation people can feel quite vulnerable in and where we can see pockets of antisocial behaviour, so I’m incredibly hopeful for this initiative.”

Merseyside’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Emily Spurrell said: “Tackling serious violence and anti-social behaviour is a top priority for me and for Merseyside Police.

“There is a huge amount of work being done to prevent these abhorrent life-changing crimes and bring those responsible to justice and the reductions in crime we’ve seen are testament to the police and all our partners.

“Whilst the significant decreases in violence and ASB across our hotspot areas are very welcome, we know that there is still so much to be done in removing the scourge of serious violence from our communities.

“Through this cash injection our aim is to drive crime down even further – putting in place crime prevention initiatives which are proven to work in the neighbourhoods that need it most.

“People deserve to feel safe, in their homes, walking to the shops or coming back from work. These community-led measures are all signed to respond to the concerns of local people and increase their safety and their feelings of safety.

“I look forward to seeing how these wide-ranging initiatives prevent and reduce serious violence and ASB and create safer, happier communities across Merseyside.”