Police officers in Merseyside will have new powers to search "high-risk offenders" for weapons starting today.
The new powers have been introduced to tackle knife crime and violent offending by making it easier for police to search potential offenders for weapons. Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SCROs) are a new court order introduced to help save lives and reduce serious violence by targeting known weapon carriers.
Merseyside Police is one of four forces trialling the new post-conviction powers, with the pilot scheme running for two years. The court will be able to make an SVRO when an adult is convicted of an offence involving a bladed article or offensive weapon.
