New stop and search powers 'too soft' to curb knife crime, say West Midlands police

The region is one of four areas taking part in a new scheme stop and search trial, which allow police to search high-risk offenders for weapons without needing a reason.

But the West Midlands Police Federation has called for a re-think on the so-called Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs), saying the measure fails to target the right people.

The trial, which started on April 19, gives officers powers to stop and search anyone aged over 18 with a record for knife possession who has been handed a SVRO by the courts.

Federation chair Richard Cooke, said: "While this is a good idea in principle, I think it needs re-thinking.

"A lot of the suspects are juvenile, which means they will be exempt from the stop and search orders. I’m a little bit sceptical about it all, will it really make any difference?

"Is this really tackling the problem and targeting the right people?"

"In my opinion, it’s a bit too soft. Why shouldn’t the police be able to stop a repeat offender?

"This still relies on officers applying for an order to be put in place. It shouldn’t be a temporary order that is applied for, it should be permanent, it should be mandatory.

"I’m not sure how much impact this will have."

Any offender who breaches the order can receive up to two years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

West Midlands Police lead for SVROs, Inspector James Tandy, said the measure gave the force a "more proactive approach" for repeat offenders and would help protect vulnerable people "from being drawn into further exploitation by criminal gangs".

The region has the highest rate of knife crime in the country, with152 offences involving per 100,000 population in 2021/22.

The Government recently announced plans for a crackdown on knife crime, which would see more machetes and zombie knives banned in England and Wales.