Claims communication 'vacuum' led to 'confusion' during riots

A "breakdown in communication" during the riots on Merseyside last month led to "confusion" during the disorder, it's been claimed by the region's mayor. Violence flared in Southport on July 30 when hundreds of people clashed with police following the deaths of three young girls - Elsie Dot Stancombe, Bebe King and Alice Da Silva Aguiar - in a mass stabbing the previous day.

Giving evidence to The Times Crime and Justice Commission, Steve Rotheram, mayor of the Liverpool City Region said that a “lack of coterminosity” across the Merseyside region had led to “confusion” over accountability for tackling the riots in Southport and Liverpool.

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The mayor added that a breakdown of communication between Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Emily Spurrell, the mayor’s office and Number 10 Downing Street “created a vacuum” for communication. He argued this could have been avoided if a "single authority" were present to “pull all of those agencies together”.

In response to Mr Rotheram's claims, PCC Emily Spurrell told the ECHO: “I welcome a conversation about devolution for Merseyside and ensuring we have the right governance structures in place to bring the greatest benefits for people living in our brilliant region.

“I am elected by local people, and I am committed to serving them and acting as a loud voice on their behalf. My priority is to work with all our partners to deliver the best possible service, preventing crime, protecting vulnerable people, and keeping our communities safe.

“That partnership working was particularly evident in the wake of the Southport incident when we saw organisations and communities unite to support each other and everyone affected and I am grateful to the King, the Prime Minister, and the Home Secretary for all supporting these efforts.

“Merseyside Police’s response in particular was excellent and the feedback I’ve had from the public has been overwhelmingly positive. I will be thanking the Chief Constable at my public Scrutiny Meeting next week for the admirable way her officers and staff responded in the most challenging of circumstances.”

Steve Rotheram told the ECHO: “It is standard practice in other Metro Mayoral areas for the roles of Mayor and Police Commissioner to be merged, ensuring that there is one person with strategic oversight of public services at a regional level – with a deputy overseeing the policing portfolio. I think everybody probably agrees that this should be the case.

“The fact is that structures haven’t kept up with the pace of devolution, and coterminosity – the alignment of administrative boundaries – has been a stumbling block for too long. But it’s a challenge that can be overcome. While there are no plans to do so right now, bringing these roles together could help to deliver clearer, more accountable governance, allowing us to better protect our communities and deliver the high-quality policing services our residents deserve.”

Mr Rotheram has long advocated scrapping the role of police and crime commissioner. In 2019, during a speech on devolution, he claimed around £1m could be saved and pumped into frontline policing if the role were to be dropped and subsumed into his responsibilities.

What are Police and Crime Commissioners?

Police and Crime Commissioners are elected officials charged with securing efficient and effective policing of areas of the country. The roles replaced the former police authorities - and the first elections took place in November 2012.

As devolution deals have been agreed with different regions, a number of PCC roles have been scrapped and folded into the responsibilities of regional mayors - such as with Andy Burnham in Greater Manchester.