After three shootings across Merseyside over the past month, Crimestoppers has issued an appeal to the public.
The region has been hit with a series of serious incidents, with police making multiple arrests in relation to the shooting of a 15-year-old girl at a bus stop in on Upper Warwick Street in Toxteth on March 1. On March 20, a man was shot in the face on Croxteth Hall Lane.
Two days later, on March 22, a man was shot multiple times in a drive-by style attack on Hoole Road in Woodchurch. A sawn-off shotgun was also found during a raid of a property in Prescot on March 9.
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Despite these incidents, gun crime rates have plummeted in Merseyside. A meeting held on March 30 to scrutinise senior figures within Merseyside Police was told that 29 weapons discharges have been recorded in 2021/22, down from 83 in 2019/20.
However, following the three shootings in March, Crimestoppers has appealed to the public to contact them if they know anything about crime being carried out in Merseyside. Gary Murray, North West Regional Manager at the Crimestoppers, said: “We have all been shocked and saddened by the recent shootings and stabbings that have taken place on Merseyside, particularly as many of the victims have been young people.
“We really need the public’s help to get these weapons off the street and identify those who have carried out these attacks before more lives are lost and families left devastated. I would encourage anyone who has information about those organising or carrying out crime in Merseyside to contact our charity completely anonymously online or by phone: the only person who will know you have contacted us is you.
“Every year across Merseyside, we receive over 7,000 pieces of actionable information: this leads to hundreds of arrests, millions of pounds of illegal drugs seized, and weapons being taken off our streets. We would like to thank those who have contacted us. We will never know who they are because of anonymity, but they have made Merseyside safer for everyone and made a real difference and I encourage those who have this vital information to contact us. We guarantee you’ll be 100% anonymous. Always.”
Crimestoppers has also put together some questions that it believes could prompt the public and encourage them to report what they see, hear or know. They are:
Weapons :
- Who is supplying and selling guns?
- How are these guns being transported into Merseyside and by whom?
- Where are the firearms being stored?
- The names of those who have carried out recent shootings and stabbings.
- How are the firearms disposed of after use?
- What vehicles were used in the attacks and where are they now?
Drugs :
- Who controls the drug trade in the area?
- What drug phone lines are they operating and what names are they using?
- What social media platforms are they using to advertise the drugs, and do you know their details?
- How are those who are being exploited by them targeted and recruited?
- How are they moving their illegal funds and where is the money going?
To report crime in Merseyside 100% anonymously, visit the charity’s website Crimestoppers-uk.org and fill in a simple and secure anonymous online form or call our 24/7 UK Contact Centre on freephone 0800 555 111.
