CRIME PREVENTION
once we go live. We hope this joint approach will ensure everyone involved in its application, from officers on patrol to data analysts, can use this new tool to intervene and encourage offenders to stay away from crime.
Given that a key element of SVROs is
to stop and search without grounds or reasonable suspicion, we very quickly identified community engagement, reassurance, and public consultation as vital to our success. We have a stop and search scrutiny panel in Merseyside that will evaluate the use of SVROs, and we are engaging with different stakeholder groups to understand their concerns and questions, particularly around racial disproportionality. An important part of this will be to make clear to members of the public that SVROs will be used, and targeted, against those individuals who persist in unlawfully carrying knives or offensive weapons. We believe when used fairly and responsibly, SVRO powers will provide greater opportunity to put persistent knife and offensive weapon offenders on the back foot and ultimately keep the public safe. I’m confident that these new powers will help us keep communities safe and keep the pressure on those involved in the most serious violent crime.
A MESSAGE FROM THE MERSEYSIDE CHAIR
Sadly, both the public and police officers often see the devastating impact that serious violence has on victims and their families. As such, following public consultation, we welcome the introduction of Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs) in Merseyside from mid-April, to try and make our communities safer and get more bladed articles and offensive weapons off the streets.
This new legislation will provide officers with a power to search a person subject to a SVRO and can be used as a vital tool to crack down on violent crime and habitual weapons-carrying by convicted offenders. The sole purpose of this power is to check if the person has a bladed article or an offensive weapon on them. Officers will be able to take a more proactive approach, providing them with an automatic right to search these offenders.
Our members will be able to target known offenders subject to SVROs and put them on the back foot in the fight against crime. The purpose is to discourage high risk offenders from
carrying weapons, and reduce serious violence and criminal behaviour. We want to help safeguard and reduce fear amongst the communities of Merseyside.
Our members will be at the forefront of implementing this new legislation within Merseyside. It goes without saying that any bladed article or offensive weapon taken off the streets by police officers will reduce the level and impact of serious violence within Merseyside and help protect our communities.
Tony Fairclough, Chair of Merseyside Police Federation
27 | POLICE | APRIL 2023
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
