Is sport the answer to tackling violent crime on Merseyside?

Merseyside’s Police Commissioner is uniting with sporting organisations and football legends to host a major conference examining how the sports sector can help to prevent violent crime.

Jane Kennedy is working with Merseyside Police, the European Healthy Stadia Network and a host of Merseyside-based sports organisations to hold a sector-wide seminar ‘Reducing Violent Crime within Merseyside: the role of sports sector’ at Goodison Park today.

The event, which is being supported by Liverpool F.C legends Jamie Carragher and Ian Rush and Everton Football Club ambassadors Graham Stuart and Ian Snodin, will engage with 100 representatives from sports clubs and bodies of all sizes and types across Merseyside looking at how they can work with the newly-formed Violence Reduction Unit to help prevent young people getting drawn into crime.

The Violence Reduction Unit is being established after the Police Commissioner and Merseyside Police secured £3.37m from the Home Office to adopt a new public health-focussed approach to tackling serious violence in Merseyside. The new unit brings together local police, health and education professionals, community leaders and other key stakeholders to understand the causes of serious violence in Merseyside and agree a co-ordinated, evidence-based response.

The funding will be used on a number of short and long-term projects aimed at diverting people away from violence, including projects aimed at intervening when children are at risk of being excluded from school, criminal exploitation or committing serious violence.

Jane said: