Improving community safety in Knowsley

Improving community safety in Knowsley

Crime in Knowsley fell by 8% in 2024/25 compared to last year.

The latest findings from the Knowsley Community Safety Partnership Strategic Threat Assessment 2024/25 follows a 14% reduction overall crime the previous year.

During the past twelve months, there has been a focus on transforming the local approaches to community safety in Knowsley, with a greater focus on creating a supportive environment for residents, particularly young people and families, with initiatives such as Be the Change.

Knowsley Community Safety Partners, including Knowsley Council, Merseyside Police, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service and other partners, presented the findings this week to the Council's Stronger Communities Scrutiny Committee.

Other notable findings for the 2024/25 period included:

• Knowsley's 8% reduction in crime compares to an average 7% increase nationally
• Knowsley had the lowest percentage share of all recorded crimes in Merseyside with 10%
• There has been a 19% reduction in vehicle crimes in Knowsley

• There has been a 50% reduction in firearms discharges in Knowsley compared to the previous year
• Incidents of serious violence have increased by 9%

• Reports of hate crime decreased from the previous year, indicating more needs to be done to encourage people to report incidents

• There was an 7% increase in incidents of anti-social behaviour compared to the previous year. This is in part due to increased confidence from residents in reporting incidents to Community Safety Partners.

The Strategic Threat Assessment provides the Committee with an overview of crime and anti-social behaviour within the Borough and a review of the progress taken against the Community Safety Plan 2025 - 2028, which is focused on delivering the Knowsley 2030 priority of making Knowsley a place "where strong and safe communities can shape their future."

Informed by the findings of the Strategic Threat Assessment, the Community Safety Partnership Strategic Plan identifies three priorities to improve outcomes for the residents of Knowsley. This includes tackling:

• Domestic Abuse and Violence Against Women and Girls

• Anti-Social Behaviour

• Serious and Organised Crime

Domestic Abuse

Domestic abuse remains an issue of massive importance both nationally and locally, with devastating impacts on individuals, families and communities. In response to increased demand for domestic abuse services, Knowsley Council has this year invested a further £1 million into our community based and internal capacity, ensuring that victims and survivors receive timely and effective support and that out workforce if equipped to identify, respond to and help prevent domestic abuse.

Anti-social behaviour

Knowsley Community Safety Partnership has worked intensively to swiftly identify and reduce ASB, with increased focus on the town centre areas and green spaces, responding to community intelligence and operational direction from the police.

Serious and Organised Crime

The EVOLVE initiative was launched in Knowsley in 2022 to help tackle serious and organised in the region. One of the key outcomes of the initiative is the increase in anonymous reporting to Crimestoppers in the region and the overall reduction in crime. The Be the Change project was launched in Knowsley in 2024, with the aim of highlighting positive opportunities open to women and girls across Knowsley, steering them away from those involved in serious and organised crime. Be the Change is now being rolled to young males as well.

Cllr Shelley Powell, Cabinet Member for Communities and Neighbourhoods, said: "The Community Safety Partners in Knowsley continue to work closely to help tackle the challenges we face in the borough and help achieve our key priorities. We must continue to build on our success over the past 12 months to ensure our communities are safe places to live."

You can find the full report presented to the Scrutiny Committee here.