Overall crime down by 15 per cent in Merseyside

New statistics have shown overall crime in Merseyside has fallen by 15 per cent, meaning thousands of people have been spared becoming victims of crime compared to last year.

The Office of National Statistics (ONS) released an annual report on Thursday 24 October showing crime statistics for all police forces across England and Wales for the year ending June 2024, where 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%
• Domestic abuse offences decreased by 19.28%
• Knife Crime decreased by 6.56% in Merseyside
• Burglary offences saw a 16.89% reduction
• 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). Our dedicated Unity team will continue their work to prevent people becoming victims of such a despicable crime, to put offenders before the courts so they can’t offend again and ensure victims are properly supported throughout the whole criminal justice process.

“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. In September, we introduced the #TakingAction campaign to build on the work of the last three years to prevent and reduce the violence and abuse women face every day. We work with partners to co-ordinate efforts to prevent violence against women and girls, engage with victim-survivors to better understand their issues and support them.

“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.

“Changing the mindsets of those prepared to pick up a knife or firearm, or deal drugs, is key and education and other interventions are preventing crimes before enforcement is even necessary.

“We work closely with partners including the five local authorities, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, public health, education and third sector organisations to further to keep driving these numbers down.

“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."

Merseyside’s Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell said: “It is hugely encouraging that crime continues to fall across Merseyside.

“Not only have we seen a really significant reduction in overall crime of more than 15%, these figures show there have been nearly 15,500 fewer victims in our region in the past year than the one before – real people who have been protected from the misery and suffering caused by crime.

“It’s important to highlight those figures include decreases in all three categories of crime that involve violence – meaning far fewer people coming to serious harm in our communities.

“Figures like these are what we all want to see. They are thanks to the hard work and professionalism of Merseyside Police’s officers and staff who are determined to drive down crime, ensuring those who cause suffering and misery are brought to justice and keeping our streets safe. Their work is supported by a whole host of partners who play a crucial role alongside the police in helping to build safer, stronger communities.

“While these results show we are moving in the right direction, we can never be complacent, and our focus is entirely on driving these numbers down even further.

“That’s why the Chief Constable and I are united in our commitment to embedding prevention in all our work – taking a long-term approach to stop people ever getting involved in crime. By intervening early, we can prevent young people from making the wrong choices now to make sure these decreases continue in the years ahead.

“Our Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership is helping to spearhead this work, bringing organisations from across the region together to address the underlying causes of violence and intervening in a positive, evidence-based way to help young people and their families.

“We’re also undertaking a significant amount of work to prevent and tackle shop theft as this is an area where we have sadly seen incidents increase and we know how important it is to protect our local businesses and those who work in them.

“While a significant amount of work is underway to prevent offences of sexual violence and domestic abuse, I also recognise there are some people who are still anxious and uncertain about reporting incidents to the police, so it is important we are cautious when welcoming reductions in these types of crimes.

“It’s why the Chief Constable and I launched our #TakingAction campaign last month focused on building trust and confidence with women and girls while setting out our 100% commitment to ending these crimes. The statistics in this campaign highlight the scale of the issues right here in Merseyside, so it is vital we take the right action to protect them, bring perpetrators justice and provide the support they need.”