Police facing 'enormous challenge' to tackle youth violence in Merseyside
In just seven days a schoolgirl was shot at a bus stop in Toxteth, a teenage boy suffered stab wounds outside a school in West Derby and another teenage boy was stabbed in Formby
Last updated 11th Mar 2022
In a week where three teenagers were seriously injured in shootings and stabbings across Merseyside, we're hearing how Police are stepping up to tackle a rise in anti-social behaviour and gang violence.
In just seven days a schoolgirl was shot as she waited at a bus stop in Toxteth, a teenage boy suffered stab wounds outside a school in West Derby and another teenage boy was stabbed in Formby.
Detective Chief Superintendent Mark Kameen is Head of Crime at Merseyside Police, he's been telling us they can't just arrest their way out of the situation :
"We need a different strategy, diversion opportunities for our young children to move them away from a life of criminality so those five, six, seven year old children of today don't become those fourteen, fifteen, sixteen year old bike riding, gun shooting idiots.
"The challenge is enormous but we won't shy away from that either. We've talked about Rhys Jones and the prison sentence given to Sean Mercer. You look at the sentences from last week, operation Casino, a county lines investigation including recovery of firearms. We've got over two hundred years prison sentences.
"This is not a glamorous lifestyle; once you're dragged into it it means prison or something more serious".
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