Merseyside Chief Constable Serena Kennedy tonight (Dec 1) said in her annual lecture that the complexity of crime and diversity of communities means the old basics are no longer applicable.
Speaking to an audience of around 200 people at Liverpool John Moores University, she highlighted the immense increase in incidents. Her force has responded to 76,000 emergency calls in the last 12 months from the 1.42m residents, with 500 fewer officers than a decade ago.
Additionally, the force has 319 fewer officers than a year ago, despite a large recruitment campaign by the Merseyside Police Department.
Deputy Chief Constable Ian Critchley told MerseyNewsLive that it was difficult to increase the numbers of officers on the beat in the face of such figures.
The Chief Constable spoke about the 792% rise in domestic abuse cases within the Merseyside region.
Speaking before her lecture in the Johnson Foundation Auditorium in LJMU’s John Lennon Art and Design Building, the chief constable highlighted three things leading to this increase – crimes being recorded in different categories, people recognising abusive relationships and an increase in crimes being committed.
Emily Spurrell, Merseyside’s Police and Crime Commissioner, claimed that a combination of reclassifications of particular offences as well as more cases being reported led to this statistic. Ms Spurrell went on to say that there is more of a set system of support for those who come forward.
In her first year as Chief Constable, Serena Kennedy’s force has faced its first suicide bomber and an increased number of murders, including two children – Ava White and Olivia Pratt-Corbett. She remains proud of how her force has responded.
Watch Matt Markey’s video report here
Listen to Natalya Luke’s interview with chief constable Serena Kennedy here
Featured Image (c) Merpol
