Merseyside Police provides policing services to the metropolitan area of Merseyside. The police force area covers 250 square miles with approximately 65 miles of coastline in the north west of England. Although there are some more affluent areas, Merseyside has a high level of poverty. Around 1.4 million people live in a predominantly urban setting. The force covers the conurbation that includes the city of Liverpool and surrounding towns. The resident population is increased by very large number of university students and the large numbers who visit, socialise in, commute into, or travel through the area each year. The transport infrastructure includes major rail stations, an airport and a major sea port.
HMICFRS independently assesses police forces and policing across activity from neighbourhood teams to serious crime and the fight against terrorism – in the public interest.
In preparing our reports, we ask the questions which citizens would ask, and publish the answers in accessible form, using our expertise to interpret the evidence. We provide authoritative information to allow the public to compare the performance of their force against others, and our evidence is used to drive improvements in the service to the public.
Force Area |
249 square miles | |
Population |
1.39m people | 2% local 10 yr change |
Workforce |
76% frontline | 78% national level |
| 4.3 per 1000 population | 3.6 national level | |
| 18% change in local workforce since 2010 | 15% national change since 2010 |
Victim-based crimes |
0.06 per person | 0.06 national level |
| Local 5 year trend | National 5 year trend (no change) |
Cost |
64p per person per day local | 55p per person per day national |
Jane Kennedy
Chief Constable Andy Cooke QPM, appointed in July 2016
