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A year after its launch, a major multi-agency initiative targeting serious and organised crime in Everton and Vauxhall in North Liverpool has delivered more than 100 arrests, significant drug seizures and reductions in violent crime.
The EVOLVE Everton-Vauxhall programme, introduced in January last year, is the fourth Clear, Hold, Build scheme to be rolled out in Merseyside. Led by Merseyside Police and supported by Liverpool City Council, public health teams and community partners, the Home Office-backed initiative aims to disrupt criminal networks, protect vulnerable residents and strengthen long-term community resilience.
In its first 12 months, the operation has resulted in 117 arrests, 120 warrants executed and 630 stop searches. Officers have seized 31 weapons, 1.9kg of Class A drugs, 22kg of Class B drugs and 85kg of Class C drugs, along with approximately £138,000 in cash.
Police say the enforcement activity has been accompanied by measurable reductions in key crime categories. Violence with injury has fallen by 11%, residential burglaries by 13% and antisocial behaviour by 6%. Violence without injury has reduced by 6%, while commercial burglaries have dropped by 4%.
Although overall recorded crime has risen by 2%, officers attribute this to a 72% increase in recorded drug dealing offences, reflecting proactive policing and greater identification of criminal activity. Intelligence submissions from the community have increased by 28% compared with the previous year.
Superintendent Tony Fairhurst, one of the senior officers overseeing EVOLVE, said tackling drug-related activity had been central to the operation. He said proactive enforcement had disrupted those fuelling serious and organised crime, while increased safeguarding referrals – 42 in total – demonstrated a parallel focus on protecting vulnerable people from exploitation and addiction.
“We have made significant progress in clearing criminality from the area and preventing others from filling the void,” he said, adding that rising community intelligence showed growing public confidence in policing.
Superintendent Tony Fairhurst.
Beyond enforcement, the scheme has entered its “Build” phase, designed to address the underlying causes of crime and strengthen community cohesion.
Youth engagement has been a prominent feature. Spoken word poet Joseph Roberts delivered Dear Merseyside assemblies and workshops to around 2,500 Year 8 pupils across the EVOLVE areas, with the programme now being rolled out to more than 5,000 Year 7 and 8 pupils. The initiative encourages young people to reject gang involvement and reflect on solutions to challenges within their communities.
A participatory budgeting event also saw 10 community groups awarded £5,000 each following a Dragon’s Den-style selection process involving pupils from North Liverpool Academy. Funding has supported grassroots projects aimed at improving opportunities and resilience.
Partners have also carried out regular “Days of Action”, combining high-visibility policing with environmental improvements such as cutting back overgrown hedges and trees that obscure street lighting or create hiding places for weapons. Detached youth work has been funded in targeted areas to address antisocial behaviour and provide mentoring support.
Councillor Laura Robertson-Collins, Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities, Neighbourhoods and Streetscene, said joint working was helping to tackle the root causes of serious violence, while Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell described the results as evidence of what can be achieved when policing, partners and residents work together.
While acknowledging there is more to do, Merseyside Police say EVOLVE Everton-Vauxhall has laid the foundations for longer-term change, combining enforcement, safeguarding and prevention to reduce harm and build stronger, safer neighbourhoods.
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