Organised crime groups have found the streets of Liverpool too hot for business as usual after the murder of Olivia Pratt-Korbel, police believe.
Merseyside Police have ramped up operations to disrupt serious and organised crime since the death of the nine-year-old, as well as the firearms murders of 28-year-old Ashley Dale and 22-year-old Sam Rimmer - which all took place within the space of six days.
Olivia was shot dead on Kingsheath Avenue, Dovecot, on August 22; Miss Dale in Leinster Road, Old Swan, in the early hours of the previous day and Mr Rimmer in Lavrock Bank, Dingle, on August 16. There have been arrests in all three cases but so far no-one has been charged with any of the murders.
READ MORE: Police respond to rumours Olivia and Ashley murders were 'linked'
The force is desperately seeking information on the killers in all three cases, although the national gaze is most intense on the investigation into Olivia's unthinkable death. Merseyside Police has received support from other forces as it "bares its teeth" in response to a horror week.
Police vehicles marked with the livery of Lancashire, Cumbria and Cheshire police services have all been visible on operations within Merseyside in recent days. Yesterday, Detective Chief Superintendent Mark Kameen, head of investigations at Merseyside, put some numbers on the force's efforts to tackle serious and organised crime.
Since Olivia's murder, Merseyside Police officers have arrested 349 people and executed 88 warrants across Merseyside, based on "information from communities". The force has also stop-searched 942 people and carried out 75 open land searches.
DCS Kameen said the force has been led to believe organised criminal groups operating in the city, particularly in the areas where the murders took place, are struggling to operate under such intense pressure.
He said: "I have already talked about the pace of the investigation itself, but now I want to update you on the commitment of the Force in its relentless targeting of those involved in serious and organised crime.
"What we now know is that those involved in serious and organised crime are being significantly disrupted and are fed up and frustrated by the increased policing activity. We are making these areas toxic to those who commit crime, and we know they don’t like it. However, we make no apology for that. I said we would bare our teeth and that is precisely what we are doing."
Anyone with information is asked to DM @MerPolCC or call @CrimestoppersUK anonymously on 0800 555 111 quoting log 22000621096. You can also pass information on our Major Incident Public Portal website mipp.police.uk
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