Home Office Begins Consultation On New Stop & Search Powers Which Are Intended To Reduce Knife Crime

The Home Office has begun its consultation on new proposals for increased powers for the police that would enable officers to stop and search individuals who have previous convictions for knife-related crimes. 

The Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVRO’s) would mean that officers can stop and search someone who they know has previous convictions for carrying a knife or other offensive weapons. 

Currently, officers have to use relatively complicated rules regarding when they are allowed to stop and search someone. These current rules prevent a police officer from stopping and searching someone based purely on the fact that they have previous convictions for knife-related crimes. 

But SVRO’s would mean that officers can specifically target individuals who they know have a history of carrying knives in order to reduce the instances of knife-enabled crime and serious assaults. 

In the survey (link below), the Home Office asks respondents to give their opinion and to have their say on the proposals. 

Included in the questions are: 

‘The government thinks that that the best way to make it easier for the police to stop and search known knife carriers is to create a new court order, the Serious Violence Reduction Order (SVRO). Do you agree?’ and ‘should an SVRO be made automatically on conviction?’. 

Police officers have, generally speaking, welcomed the new proposals as an SVRO would mean that officers can direct their time and resources at combatting knife crime by targetting known offenders. 

Many forces, including the Met, have dedicated task forces which are deployed to areas which are known for high levels of knife crime. 

In the Metropolitan Police, for example, officers from the Territorial Support Group (TSG) have had several successes when it comes to preventing, detecting and deterring knife crime. 

To have your say, CLICK HERE to complete the survey.