How unsafe is Smithdown? We looked at the area’s crime maps

On Wednesday night, a 25-year old man was shot on Alderson Road in Wavertree at around 22:40, this is believed to be the 6th gun attack in Merseyside in less than two weeks; marking this as one of the most violent periods of gun violence in recent years.

It is believed the victim left a taxi moments before the attack happened, before being shot approximately four times before emergency services arrived on the street; he later died in hospital. The 25 year-old was stood on a doorstep when he was hit. He has now been identified and his next of kin are in the process of being informed.

Families in the area have raised concerns about the safety of their children. A mother speaking to the Liverpool Echo said: "I'm really scared, I have just been talking to the Mum's at school about it. We’re all scared and they were saying this happens often and it is something they’re getting used to."

The Police have launched a murder investigation, urging members of the public with CCTV or dashcam footage to come forward.

Using the Police Crime Map, The Liverpool Tab have uncovered that in the month of August 2018, 251 crimes were reported in the area of Wavertree alone. With 72 crimes reported on Lawrence Road and the surrounding streets including a number of burglaries and violent and sexual offences.

20 crimes were reported around Wendell Street the top of Smithdown road, including burglary and sexual offences. Ten crimes were reported around Ferndale Road, with Barrington, Claremont and Kenmare Road seeing a number of vehicle crimes and anti-social behaviour.

Crime map of Smithdown

Smithdown is an area known for it's high crime rates, with over 900 crimes reported in Wavertree between January and August this year. Smithdown had the 3rd highest number of burglaries compared to other student areas within the country in 2017.

Within Kensington Fields, in the same period, fewer crimes were committed with only 3 incidents being reported in August 2018. However, it seems apparent that the further you move into Kensington, the more unsafe it becomes. In August, an astonishing 57 offences were reported on and around Sheil Road; including vandalism, drug crimes and possession of weapons. Additionally, another 40 unlawful acts were reported on Kensington high street, especially where Lidl and Home Bargains are located.

Crime map of Kensington

Anyone with information can contact @MerPolCC, call 101 with reference 1144, or @CrimestoppersUK anonymously on 0800 555 111, which is completely independent to the police.