 Merseyside Police want funding for an extra 200 officers |
The government is considering whether to allocate funds for extra police in Liverpool for when the city becomes the European Capital of Culture in 2008. Merseyside Police, the Police Authority and Liverpool City Council have written to the Home Office requesting financial assistance to fund 200 extra officers.
They believe an increase in high profile policing will help with the anticipated rise in tourists numbers.
The Home Secretary has referred the request to the Policing Minister.
 |  We want every visitor to the Capital of Culture to have a positive experience |
So far there are about 70 events - including concerts, exhibitions and festivals - planned in Liverpool to celebrate the city's culture status.
A spokesperson for Merseyside Police Authority, Merseyside Police and Liverpool City Council said: "The Capital of Culture year represents a fantastic opportunity to put to rest the unfounded myths that make people think that Merseyside is an unsafe area.
"We want every visitor to the Capital of Culture to have a positive experience.
"The extra numbers would reduce impact on other areas of policing major cultural events and the highly visible presence of officers would give visitors a very safe and positive image of the city.
"Without extra funding for that year the police presence will not be as visible and Merseyside will miss the opportunity to use specially trained police officers to change people's minds about this area.
"The dedicated '08 policing team would develop a concentrated policing approach working with hotels, museums and other tourist venues, which could be transferable to other cities, including London in the run up to the Olympics in 2012."
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