270 court orders in two years to tackle knife crime in Merseyside
A pilot scheme is ending this week
More than 270 court orders have been secured in the last two years in Merseyside to search convicted weapon carriers on sight.
Merseyside Police was one of four forces to pilot serious violence reduction orders (SVROs), that courts could grant when an adult was convicted of an offence involving a bladed article or offensive weapon.
That then allowed officers to stop and search people subjected to these orders in public.
118 people given an order were jailed for a combined 170 years for knife crime offences, with knife crime across the region falling by 6.5% over the last year.
Weapons recovered included a push dagger, Stanley knife blade, Stanley knife and imitation firearm.
The pilot ends on Friday 18 April, meaning no new orders can be made to the courts. Live orders will be phased out over the next six months.
A report about the pilot is due out in June, ahead of a decision by the government as to whether to make the scheme permanent across the country.
Superintendent Phil Mullally, Merseyside's Lead for Serious Violence and Knife Crime, said:
"In the last two years, we have used SVROs to target those who think it’s acceptable to carry and use a knife or other offensive weapon in Merseyside.
"By working with the courts, 270 people in Merseyside have received an order, granting us enhanced stop and search powers when they are in public. Through these searches, officers have found dangerous and intimidating weapons which have led to arrests and further charges.
"By taking part in this pilot, we’ve been able to closely monitor those who have been convicted of an offence involving a bladed article or offensive weapon. The majority of those who were handed an order were found guilty of possession of an offensive weapon or committing violence against another person, such as a serious assault.
"We are still fully committed to tackling knife crime"
"We’ve also seen evidence of offenders with a SVRO changing their behaviour, becoming less likely to carry a weapon in a public place, due to the increased risk of being caught.
"Despite this pilot ending, we are still fully committed to tackling knife crime. Our work, together with partner agencies, is ongoing daily, visibly through proactive patrols and operations and behind the scenes through intelligence gathering and investigations.
"We would encourage anyone with any information or concerns to report it to us directly or 100% anonymously to Crimestoppers."
District Crown Prosecutor Olivia Murray, knife crime lead for CPS Mersey-Cheshire, said:
"This pilot was aimed at preventing offenders from perpetuating a cycle of repeating and escalating their crimes.
"It has highlighted the good working relationships between the police, the Crown Prosecution Service and our other partners in the Criminal Justice System and we would like to thank them for their help with this.
"The independent evaluators of the pilot are taking stock of the data and, if it demonstrates that SVROs have helped bring knife crime down, the Home Office, will start the process of seeking approval to roll out this project out nationally.
"CPS Mersey-Cheshire is proud to have been the first area to have successfully applied for these orders to be imposed by the courts. Knife crime is a blight on our society and all measures that can help reduce it are to be welcomed."