The gunshot that killed nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel changed the community in ways that will be felt for years to come.
But one change that will be welcomed by many parents and residents living in the borderlands between Knowsley and Liverpool is a new focus and determination to break the cycles of violence that snatched Olivia's life.
For residents living in those communities, more police on the streets is a good start to forcing out the criminal groups that have caused so much misery. Kellie Owens, one of the directors of The Gate community centre in Page Moss, was one of thousands in Merseyside left in a state of shock when Olivia was killed in her own home on August 22.
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She said: "I wasn't here I was on holiday at the time, but I heard it on the news while I was away. I literally couldn't actually believe what I was watching on the telly. It was just heartbreaking to just see what had happened in the community. It was just devastating.
"She was just a baby."
Speaking about the lasting impact, she said: "I'm ringing my son more than I used to, checking where he is and what he is doing . I'm glad when he says 'I'm not going anywhere tonight, I'm staying in and playing on the games' which is a good thing.
But, according to Kellie, the activities of street gangs had been weighing on residents well before the high-profile tragedies of last year. She said: "Before you would have scrambler bikes going up and down, they would come around on their little bikes and what have you with their masks on.
"It scares you. Sometimes I don't like going out. If I do go out it's like; is anyone going to be there? You do get scared and worried. Mum's are probably scared to let [their kids] outside the doors in case anything happens. So the police presence is doing good."
This is where EVOLVE, Merseyside Police's joint initiative to target organised crime groups hopes to change things. EVOLVE is part of the Home Office funded 'Clear, Hold, Build' strategy which aims to eject gangs from local communities and fortify them against future criminal activity.
Merseyside Police was one of the first forces to pilot Clear, Hold, Build and was allocated a further £350,000 in funding from the Home Office to target serious and organised crime following the murders of Olivia, 22-year-old Sam Rimmer and 28-year-old Ashley Dale last August.
EVOLVE is focused on Yew Tree, Long View, Page Moss and Huyton, but will be rolled out in a number of different areas.
The strategy involves rounding up gang members, flooding areas with police activity to prevent criminals from returning, and then in the longer term working with local councils, schools, charities, housing providers and NHS bodies to improve the quality of life for residents and make them "more resilient" and less tolerant of organised crime groups.
When asked about the big increase in police activity in the neighbourhood, Kellie said: "I'm very, very pleased. I have got a son of my own and if anything happened to him I would be absolutely heartbroken over it. Now that they are like doing the area and they're coming up more it's a lot better, more presence on the streets which is a good thing."
For Sergeant Nicolas Parsons, part of Merseyside Police's crime and communities team and on secondment with Knowsley Council as part of EVOLVE, the operation has given the force a greater understanding of local concerns.
She said: "It's unique here in that it borders the Liverpool and Knowsley area. The feedback that we got from the community on the back of those tragic events was that it often felt like no-man's land here, because both sides are right on the edge of the local authority border.
"So that's why we started to sort of target in this area and then the more input we got off the community the more we realised that this was the area we needed to be in."
Sgt Parsons said local policing teams had "always had a good understanding" of how gangs operate in the area. However she added: "Now we have got that focus, that ability, the resources to actually follow it through with our partners, it's about focusing what we do in this area."
This morning a large contingent of police officers gathered in Jubilee Park for a briefing by Assistant Chief Constable Jon Roy, and Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell, before heading out on disruption operations.
According to the force, by late afternoon two cannabis farms had been raided, with around 200 plants seized in total. One man was arrested on suspicion of cannabis cultivation and abstracting electricity, while a knife was seized during the land searches.
A Joint operation with Trading Standards at Dovecot shops led to two people being arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply cannabis, and pre-packed cannabis was found to the value of £25,000. £20,000 worth of fake E-Cigarettes were also seized.
Liverpool City Council, Riverside Housing and LIVV Housing carried our a multi-agency walkabout in the Dovecot area. LIVV, Mersey Care and GP Services also held a community drop in at L14 Community Centre.
ACC Roy said: "We hope today’s activity, which is just a small part of our long-term commitment to the people of Merseyside, sends a strong message to our communities that we stand with you and our partners and together will build our neighbourhoods back stronger, protect the futures of our young people and help prevent crime from infiltrating our streets."
Chief Inspector Tony Fairhurst, one of the lead officers involved in EVOLVE, said: “While we have started the initial Clear and Hold phases in these areas, it is an ongoing process. Residents can expect to see more officers in targeted areas working hard to not only prevent crime but to help protect those who are vulnerable to crime and our communities as a whole.
"Working together with our partners, as well as communities, we will continue to do everything in our powers to disrupt and deter criminals from operating on our streets. We will break their business models and their ability to exploit the vulnerable by also targeting those that support Organised Crime Groups (OCGs) such as by assisting their financing and money laundering, helping them to rent premises or to run businesses financed by the OCGs.
"To help us make the greatest impact we need the community to continue to engage with us to give us the intelligence we need to be able to keep people safe."
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