Hundreds of court orders secured during succesful pilot by Merseyside Police

A targeted stop and search pilot in Merseyside is drawing to a close, ahead of a decision to roll the post-conviction powers out nationally.

Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs) were introduced on Wednesday 19 April 2023 in four force areas – Merseyside, Thames Valley, West Midlands and Sussex – for two years.

The aim of SVROs was to tackle high-risk, habitual weapons carriers and help drive down reoffending to keep communities safe.  

During the pilot, courts could grant the civil orders when an adult (aged 18 or over) was convicted of an offence involving a bladed article or offensive weapon.

The change in legislation meant officers could stop and search those with a live order for bladed articles or offensive weapons in a public place.   

The purpose of taking part in the pilot was to build an understanding of the orders’ impact and effectiveness, ahead of any wider introduction across England and Wales.

The two-year pilot ends on Friday 18 April, meaning no new orders can be made to the courts. However, live orders will be phased out over 6 months, ending on Friday 17 October 2025.

An evaluation report about the SVRO pilot is due in summer 2025, ahead of a decision by the Government to roll the post-conviction powers out nationally. 

In the last two years, Merseyside Police, alongside the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Mersey Cheshire has secured more than 270 SVROs against offenders who pose a significant risk to the public. In June 2023, Merseyside was the first force to secure one of the orders.

Additionally, 118 people who were issued a SVRO in Merseyside were given custodial sentences for knife crime offences totalling more than 168 years in prison. 

Over the past year, knife crime across the region has decreased by 6.5% and violent crime has reduced by more than 32% in the areas identified as hotspots for antisocial behaviour and serious violence across Merseyside.

During proactive patrols, officers conducted hundreds of stop searches on SVRO nominals, resulting in the seizure of several offensive weapons, including a push dagger, Stanley knife blade, Stanley knife and imitation firearm.

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’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.”

More information about SVROs can be found here.

Anyone with any information or concerns about knife crime can report it to Merseyside Police or Crimestoppers anonymously. Call 101, direct message @MerPolCC on X or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Find out more on the Merseyside Police website.

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