Abstract

Community safety sector stakeholders in Merseyside are finding it increasingly difficult to remain financially sustainable and deliver the necessary community safety, crime prevention and diversionary services. Over the course of the immediate past parliament, Merseyside Local Authorities within the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) and the police force area had to restructure staffing and service provision extensively in order to deliver efficiency savings of over £650m. This research study used a mixed-methodological approach to explain how cuts to funding impacted on the delivery of public safety priorities under the coalition government (2010-2015). We discovered that the cuts had severe repercussions not just in terms of stakeholders capability to provide key services but also for the morale of their staff. Based on feedback from the study participants, we project a further 33% cutback in funding over the course of the current parliament though subsequent more favourable Government announcements suggest a more modest figure of up to 15%. This undoubtedly will result in the further streamlining of public services with potentially serious ramifications for levels of public safety.