A PUBLIC consultation needs your views on how to make Merseyside even safer.

Launched by police and crime commissioner Emily Spurrell, the Safer Merseyside consultation urges residents across Merseyside to share their opinions on policing and community safety.

Those views will be the backbone of her spearhead document, Merseyside's Police and Crime Plan, which will set the policing and community safety priorities for the region for the next four years.

The police commissioner is required by law to create a Police and Crime Plan.

It details how policing and community safety is delivered in the region and sets out how the commissioner, Merseyside Police and her community safety partners will focus their energy and resources on the issues that matter most to local people.

The Plan is then used by the police commissioner to monitor how police are progressing against those priorities.

The consultation will focus on three key areas:

  • Fighting crime; proactive policing
  • Supporting victims; safer communities
  • Driving change; prevent offending.

Now, Emily wants to hear the views of people across Merseyside.

She will be taking her consultation across the region, speaking to local people, businesses, community groups, partner organisations and victims of crime in order to get as wide a range of views of possible. She has also launched an online survey at https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/SaferMerseyside/

On Tuesday, she will talk to people on the Wirral and, on Wednesday, will hold virtual meetings with members of the public from Knowsley and St Helens.

Urging the public to take part in the consultation Emily said: "Keeping our communities safe is important to all of us.

"It is my job to be the voice of the public on policing and community safety issues and it is a role I am committed to delivering to the best of my ability.

"The views of people across Merseyside are at the heart of everything I do and will form the backbone of my Police and Crime Plan which sets out the policing and community safety priorities for the region for the next four years.

"During more than a year campaigning to be elected as Police Commissioner, I listened closely to people’s views.

"That helped me to form a view of what we need to focus on, so I have created three key pillars which I would like to run through the Plan.

"Now I want local people to have their say on what they think should be a priority and what steps we can take to Merseyside even safer.

"This is a crucial consultation and I want to hear from as many people as possible – whether that’s through my online survey, one of our virtual seminars or at one of the many consultation events I will be holding right across Merseyside over the next six weeks.

"I will be visiting every area of our region, so please come and speak to me.

"Join the conversation today and tell me your priorities.”

The #SaferMerseyside consultation ends on Sunday, August 1.

To take part online, visit https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/SaferMerseyside/

A range of formal engagement events and online sessions will also be held over the next six weeks. 4To participate in a consultation event, email info@merseysidepcc.info

The Police and Crime Plan is described a living document which is continuously reviewed to ensure it continues to accurately reflect local priorities. It can be refreshed at any time.