'People want to tell police things' after crackdown

Police say the number of people feeding them intelligence has increased significantly after a project aimed at rooting out serious and organised crime.

Merseyside Police said violent crime had fallen following the introduction of Operation EVOLVE in the Everton and Vauxhall areas of the north Liverpool.

In the year since its launch, the force said incidents of violence involving injury had reduced by 11%, while 117 people had been arrested and 109kg of illegal drugs had been seized.

According to Supt Tony Fairhurst, one of the most significant changes has been a large increase in intelligence reports from within the community.

"I think it's always been there, that people want to tell us things," he explained.

Merseyside Police said a concerted effort over the last year to increase links between them and the community had translated to 528 intelligence reports - a year-on-year rise of 28%.

Fairhurst told the BBC: "That's really important because if the community tell us what's happening, then we can do something about it.

"That tells us the community has more confidence to come forward."

In the period since the launch of EVOLVE, arrests have increased by 7%, while residential burglaries have dropped by 13% and commercial burglaries by 4%.

Reports of anti-social behaviour have also decreased, by 6%.

Recorded offences of drug dealing increased by 72%, but the force said that was due to proactive work pursuing organised crime groups.

Fairhurst added: "We're seeing sustained levels of intelligence coming through, which is really important.

"These EVOLVE areas aren't short-term projects, they're long-term ways of working with the community.

"So by getting this embedded in, it means we can be more preventative in the future by picking things up earlier and dealing with individuals who are trying to cause misery."

EVOLVE projects are built around a policing model known as 'Clear, Hold, Build'.

After traditional police operations to round up and prosecute organised crime groups in an area, the more difficult and long-term approach begins.

This involves preventing other gangs from immediately filling the void, and then in the longer term building up communities to reduce both their vulnerability to and their tolerance of criminal activity.

In north Liverpool, police have carried out open-land searches and "days of action" to help prevent criminal groups from establishing footholds.

The 'Build' phase has included outreach work aimed at educating young people about the risks of crime, and providing funding for local charities and community organisations.

The project is not just police-led, with organisations including Liverpool City Council improving the look of neighbourhoods and "encouraging residents to take pride" in their area.

This work also includes clearing overgrown hedges that can be used to store weapons, and making sure vegetation does not cover street lights.

Merseyside's Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell said: "The progress made so far - from the increase in intelligence and safeguarding to reductions in violence, burglary and antisocial behaviour - is a testament to the hard work and dedication of all involved and the trust and co-operation of local residents."

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