Merseyside Police host security briefing event for licensed premises ahead of Eurovision

As the city prepares to hold the biggest music competition in the world, this week we have brought together over 100 licensees from across the city to ensure that they are best placed to provide the hundreds of thousands of Eurovision visitors with a safe and memorable experience.

Hosted by the force Licensing Unit, the briefing offered security and cyber-security advice to help the city’s licensed bars, clubs and hotels put measures in place that will protect their businesses from a range of potential criminal activity. 

The two-hour session featured presentations from specialist officers within Merseyside Police and other representatives from Liverpool City Council and the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU). As well as practical tips and advice from a licensing perspective, information was also shared on cyber-criminal activity and what to do if a suspicious package is spotted.

Andrew Fielding, Inspector Problem Oriented Policing said: “This is a really exciting time in the build up towards Eurovision and we know that the city will have a real buzz with the thousands of visitors that are expected to visit. We appreciate that our licensed premises will play a key role in the safety of these visitors, so it was important for us that they are aware of the ways they can help protect them as well as other precautionary measures they can take to secure their businesses from a cyber-criminal perspective also.

“It is also important to raise that with thanks to the recent investment in our force Licensing Unit that we now have capacity to host these types of events. We find them invaluable in providing that much needed two-way communication so we can hear directly from our licensed premises about their thoughts and views. Being able to understand and address their issues, means we can better serve the people of Merseyside and build safer, stronger communities over the longer term.” 

Chief Superintendent Jonathan Davies, Police Tactical Commander for Eurovision 2023 said “Events like this are just one in many ways of how we are working with our partners to help ensure that despite the complexity and scale of Eurovision, that it is a safe and secure event for everyone that visits.  This event has required operational planning at an unprecedented scale for Merseyside, but we have the benefit of utilising our skills and experience from running previous large-scale events such as the Giants, the Labour Party Conference and numerous city-wide parades.”