Scheme has led to 5,300 arrests and seizure of 630kg of Class A and B drugs, according to Merseyside police
A scheme aimed at tackling gang activity in Liverpool has brought about an increase in public confidence in the police three years since three fatal shootings in the space of a week, police have said.
Merseyside police said the scheme, based on the principles of clearing an area of gang activity, holding it so that organised crime cannot return to it, and building a cohesive community, has led to an 300% increase in community intelligence, as well as more than 5,300 arrests and the seizure of about 630kg of Class A and B drugs.
It was one of the first forces in the country to receive Home Office funding for a “Clear, Hold, Build” initiative – known locally as Evolve – after a spree of gun-related homicides in the area that took the lives of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel, 28-year-old Ashley Dale and 22-year-old Sam Rimmer in August 2022.
Additionally, police reported confiscating 260 offensive weapons, 28 firearms and roughly £2.5m in cash and assets, which they said would be reinvested into local communities.
