Merseyside Police is finalising plans for a comprehensive policing operation ahead of the upcoming Labour Party Conference at the Liverpool Experience Campus (LEX).
An estimated 20,000 people will be attending the conference from this Saturday 26 September to Wednesday 30 September when delegates and visitors will be welcomed to the city.
The public can expect to see an increased police and security presence in and around the conference site, which is normal for large-scale events.
Superintendent Peter Clark of Force Operations at Merseyside Police, said: “Liverpool is renowned for warmly welcoming thousands of people to the city, and this event is no exception.
“This is the party’s fifth successive time the conference in the city, and as usual, we have a robust policing plan in place. We have been working closely with partners including LEX, Liverpool City Council, event organisers and security providers to ensure the smooth and safe running of the conference.
“The public will see plenty of officers patrolling the area, such as armed officers on foot patrol and the Marine Unit on the river or dock areas, but please feel reassured and not alarmed by this as it is in keeping with policing operations of this size across the UK.”
Project Servator, a specialist policing tactic, will also be in operation with the aim of disrupting a range of criminal activity and providing a reassuring presence for the public.
These high-visibility patrols are deliberately unpredictable and use uniformed and plain-clothes officers who are specially trained to spot the tell-tale signs that someone may be gathering information to help them plan criminal activity.
Superintendent Clark added: “Project Servator is an important aspect of policing plans for large-scale events, and the tactic has been used in Merseyside since 2018.
“The officers will engage with members of the public, security personnel and local business staff during deployments, encouraging them to act as extra eyes and ears in their communities.
“The deployments are supported by a range of specialist resources, including dog handlers, and our colleagues at City Watch who provide round-the-clock CCTV monitoring across the force area.
“Although we have robust measures in place, we encourage everyone, including residents and those who work in the area, to remain vigilant and report anything that they see or hear that doesn’t feel right – this would be anything that seems out of place, unusual or doesn’t seem to fit in with day-to-day life.
“You have a vital role to play in keeping our community safe. You’re never wasting our time, and no click or call will be ignored, so trust your instincts and report it to a member of staff or a police officer. In an emergency, always call 999.”
Guidance on how you can help keep our communities safe, including what suspicious activity to look out for, and confidential reporting is available at www.gov.uk/act.
To report a crime, contact Merseyside Police social media desk via X or Facebook @MerPolCC.
You can also report information via our website: https://www.merseyside.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/ or by calling 101.
Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or via their website here: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/forms/give-information-anonymously
