JUSTICE appreciates the importance of tackling knife crime. However, this must be done in a fair, proportionate and evidence-based manner. In the first instance, it is not clear why SVROs are necessary. The Home Office’s own data indicates that stop and search is ineffective in tackling crime, with its application to knife-related offences suggesting no statistically significant crime reduction effects. In addition, its disproportionate impact on BAME individuals is also counterproductive by threatening BAME communities’ trust in police operations.
In this submission, JUSTICE sets out its concerns with the Home Office’s proposed Serious Violence Reduction Orders, which we oppose due to the potential violation of Article 8 ECHR, its potential disproportionate impact and the risk of further damaging community trust in the police.