Enjoying the Halloween and Firework Season

Enjoying the Halloween and Firework Season.

Halloween and bonfire night are festivals that are enjoyed by many. Unfortunately, the behaviour of a small minority of people can sometimes spoil the fun for everyone else.

Merseyside Police, Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service and local councils are working together to promote firework safety and reduce incidents of anti-social behaviour and criminal damage which can increase, particularly on October 30th and 31st as well as on November 5th. We are committed to reducing this behaviour through a number of methods including:

 Dedicated officers on patrol in areas where they’re needed most.
 Taking action against people who break the law, whatever their age.
 Working with our partners and communities to combat illegal sales of fireworks.
 Organising and publicising activities for young people to do at the same time of year.

Public safety is our primary concern, however as the number of anti-social behaviour (ASB) incidents increase, so do the calls for service that we receive. Last year, on October 30, Merseyside Police received an increase of 44% in 999 emergency calls.
We want to provide the best service we can so, this year, we have increased the amount of people answering your calls. However, to assist us as much as possible, we ask that if you do need to call the police, particularly on October 30 and 31st, please think about the following:

 If you need to contact us but it is NOT an emergency, please direct message our force contact centre on Facebook or Twitter, or call us on 101.
 Only dial 999 in an emergency. Think about reporting minor crimes online at www.merseyside.police.uk
 Please be patient when calling – we will answer your call as soon as possible.
 Incidents will be dealt with in order of priority.
 An officer will deal with your incident as soon as possible, but it may not be as quickly as on a normal night. Please don’t call us back to ask when they will arrive.
 If you have already called to report an incident, don’t call back unless the circumstances have changed the situation has become more serious.
 We understand that these incidents may make you feel frightened or angry, but please be assured we’re working hard to resolve problems quickly.
In the run up to bonfire night lots of places begin selling fireworks; however not all of them sell them legally. Fireworks sold illegally can often be dangerous, as they don’t meet required standards. We rely on community intelligence to help us close down these illegal retailers.

If you see fireworks you think are being sold illegally, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. You can also call Crimestoppers if you want to anonymously report people using fireworks in an anti-social way. This includes people who are setting them off after 11pm.

To report an unsafe bonfire or storage of bonfire materials that need to be removed or for arson prevention advice call Merseyside Fire & Rescue on 0800 731 5958.
We wish all of our communities a happy and safe Halloween and firework season.
Please view the attached video, via the link. https://goo.gl/tW8KvQ