A pilot scheme offering police increased powers to stop and search criminals known for carrying knives and other weapons is being trialled in Merseyside.
The introduction of Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs) is aimed at reducing knife crime and "changing the behaviour" of offenders prone to carrying weapons. Police can now apply to the courts to impose the orders on criminals, after they have been convicted of an offence involving a bladed article or offensive weapon.
The orders give officers the authority to stop and search anyone who is the subject of an SVRO, and makes it an offence to fail to tell a police officer if you have an SVRO. The pilot will run in the Merseyside, West Midlands, Sussex and Thames Valley police force areas for two years before a decision is made on whether to roll it out nationally.
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Merseyside Police Assistant Chief Constable (ACC) Jon Roy said: “Tackling serious violence is a key priority for the force. Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs) will enable the police to proactively search those who we know have previously carried a knife or offensive weapon. With every weapon seized, a potential life is saved."
Although police in other areas will not be able to apply for SVROs during the pilot period, any offender who has been slapped with one can be searched by officers anywhere outside the pilot scheme areas to help tackle county lines gangs and "travelling criminality".
Nationally, knife crime has risen over a period of several years. However Merseyside Police said January 2023 saw the lowest level of knife crime in the county since April 2020, and the lowest level of overall serious violence since February 2021.
Since 2019, and up to January 2023, Merseyside Police has seized more than 10,000 weapons and made more than 3,000 arrests for serious violence offences. However the city was rocked in November, 2021, by the fatal stabbing of 12-year-old Ava White by a 14-year-old boy. The killer, who cannot be named due to his age, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 13 years in prison at Liverpool Crown Court in July, after being found guilty of her murder by a jury.
Superintendent Phil Mullally, Merseyside Police's lead for serious violence and knife crime, said: "We welcome the opportunity to trial these new powers and keep the pressure on those who are involved in the most serious violent crime and ultimately, keep our communities safe.
"Both serious violence and knife crime are falling in Merseyside, but we know there is still work to do. These new powers will enable us to continue to drive down knife crime and reoffending.
"Merseyside Police is absolutely committed to targeting those who bring misery to our communities and getting knives and offensive weapons off our streets. The new powers will enable a more proactive approach for repeat offenders and will help us protect those most vulnerable from being drawn into further exploitation by criminal gangs.
"This pilot coincides with a range of activity already taking place to tackle knife crime and serious violence on Merseyside, including Operation Target – our force wide operation to tackle serious and violent crime – local policing operations and the work of the Merseyside Violence Reduction Unit."
Merseyside’s Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell said: “There is never a valid reason for anyone to arm themselves with a knife and evidence shows that those who pick them up, even in self-defence, are far more likely to be harmed.
“Knife crime is a national problem. But, like many other areas, we have sadly seen the devastating consequences knife crime can have, so I strongly support the introduction of this new pilot here in Merseyside.
“It’s vital we do everything possible to prevent any more families from suffering the heart-break caused by knife crime and these new SVROs gives Merseyside Police another tool in its arsenal to tackle those who are known to hold and use these lethal weapons.”
Geraldine O’Driscoll, Temporary Director of the Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership (MVRP) said: “Repeat offenders can have a toxic influence on our communities and any intervention that can protect young people from becoming engaged in criminal activities including County Lines drug activity is also beneficial. Overall, the message must be that we will simply not accept knife crime - and the undoubted misery it causes."
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