The grass-roots community groups offering hope and opportunity to young people in Garston

THE HOTSPOT POLICING SCHEME IS SUPPORTED BY A MAJOR FINANCIAL INVESTMENT FROM MERSEYSIDE POLICE

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The Mini Police pilot scheme involves pupils from Banks Road Primary School (Image: Merseyside Police)

(Merseyside Police)

Community groups in Garston are taking the lead in offering alternatives to children and young people who are at risk of being drawn into antisocial behaviour, serious violence, and localised crime.

It's part of a package of measures introduced by Merseyside Police in three key areas across the region. Over the past three years, these key locations accounted for 27% of serious violence, 25% of knife crime and 17% of ASB incidents on Merseyside.

As well as the force's existing Hotspot Policing initiative, which will see 21,000 hours of high-visibility patrols across 29 hotspot areas this financial year, it has also invested more than £200,000 in organisations working on the ground with young people, many of whom are located in the Garston area.

This twin-track approach is in line with the government's Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, to provide visible, responsive policing that tackles antisocial behaviour, town centre crime and the issues that most affect local residents.