Stuart Anderson MP has backed action to tackle knife crime in Wolverhampton and the wider region. The Government has announced that the West Midlands will be one of four areas, along with Sussex, Merseyside, and Thames Valley, to take part in a two-year pilot of Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs) from April 2023, before a decision is made on national rollout. SVROs were introduced in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 and will give the police powers to take a more proactive approach to tackling knife crime by making it easier for them to target those already convicted of knife and offensive weapons offences.
SVROs are a new civil order that can be issued to convicted offenders by the court and will give police officers the power to stop and search a person, subject to an order, to look for knives or offensive weapons. They are intended to deter offenders from carrying weapons, as there is a greater likelihood of being caught and bought to justice. It is part of wider efforts being undertaken by the Government to crack down on crime. So far, this has included rolling out Violence Reduction Units (VRUs), which bring together local partners to tackle the drivers of violence in their area and deliver a range of early intervention and prevention programmes to divert people away from a life of crime. The West Midlands VRU has received around £16 million since 2019, including £5.9 million for 2022/23. The Government has also provided £3.02 million towards their ‘Grip’ police enforcement programme in the West Midlands, which delivers hotspot patrols in areas of risk.
Knife crime was one of the first issues that Stuart raised in Parliament, having made tackling the issue one of his election priorities. He has since backed efforts to create a safer Wolverhampton, which has included supporting the Police Uplift Programme. This has seen 16,753 new police officers recruited since 2019, including 1,048 in the West Midlands, as part of the 20,000 new police officer commitment. A record number of officers have been recruited from an ethnic minority background. An estimated 136,000 violent offences have been prevented across England and Wales in the same time. Yet, the West Midlands has seen 38% increase in knife or sharp instrument offences compared to the year ending September 2021. In January, the Government introduced a Serious Violence Duty which requires a range of public bodies to work together to prevent and reduce serious violence in their local area.
Stuart Anderson MP said: “Knife crime has had a devasting impact on our city, which is why I share the Government’s commitment to crack down on the scourge of violence and make our streets safer for everyone. I welcome the inclusion of the West Midlands as one of the places in which Serious Violence Reduction Orders will be piloted. Alongside the other action we are taking to increase the number of police officers and their visibility, the pilots will generate useful insights before a decision is made on their national rollout. Together, this will help to prevent future tragedies and build safer communities.”