Performance and Measurement

Summary

Merseyside has an economically, racially and culturally diverse population of almost 1.5 million within five local authority areas. Merseyside Police has six basic operational command units, each aligned with authority boundaries (except Liverpool, which has two units). In April 2007, the force’s Total Policing strategy was launched, outlining three strategic priorities for the force: total war on crime, total victim care and total professionalism. A ‘one-team’ approach has been adopted and covers four areas: Neighbourhood Policing, serious and organised crime, citizen focus and support departments. A number of priorities have been identified to deal effectively with both anti-social behaviour and serious and organised crime, using skills, technology and forensics to help improve community safety, road safety, and public satisfaction and confidence. To support the blitz on anti-social behaviour, an anti-social behaviour task force (AXIS) has been established, involving officers from all policing disciplines working in collaboration with partner agencies.

The HMIC baseline assessment for 2006/07 recognised that significant progress has been made in the introduction and integration of Neighbourhood Policing teams across the force area. The force has achieved full coverage in each of the Neighbourhood Policing areas and has enhanced partnership links to encourage joint problem solving across the force.

Together with partner agencies, the force has invested significantly in delivering improvements in the management of sex offenders, potentially dangerous people, child protection issues and cases involving elderly, vulnerable people. Specialist units link with local Neighbourhood Policing teams to collect and collate intelligence in order to identify and manage risks more effectively.

The force has continued to address both major and serious crime, working at regional and national level, and has been successful in reducing incidents of robbery by 8.5%, reducing cash-in-transit robberies (from almost four a day to as few as one a month), and exceeding targets for cash seizures and cash forfeitures. It has also delivered reductions in all crime areas, most notably reductions of over 20% for both violent offences and life-threatening and gun crime. The rates for both offences brought to justice and sanction detections have increased, coupled with a large reduction in the rate of acquisitive crime. User satisfaction, however, has deteriorated.

The HMIC baseline assessment for 2005/06 did not grade any of the frameworks as Poor, but did identify a number of key areas for improvement. The force has comprehensively managed and progressed these through the governance group, led by the Deputy Chief Constable who oversees regular progress reports.

The force is a ‘beacon’ force, leading in the use of automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology and the subsequent seizures of vehicles, which is achieved through the effective use of ANPR and legislation. The force has received Home Office awards, recognising its excellent work in tackling hate crime and drugs, and has demonstrated its commitment to customer care by joining the Institute of Customer Service.

Liverpool has been selected as the European Capital of Culture for 2008; this has provided further opportunities for renovation in the region, as well as challenges for the force in terms of policing high-profile events. Concurrently, significant investment in Liverpool city centre is creating one of the biggest retail developments in Europe.