In this briefing, the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, in collaboration with StopWatch, analyse the introduction of Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs).

Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs), introduced under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, allow for suspicion-less stop and search of individuals previously convicted of certain knife-related offences. The pilot began in April 2023, in four areas across England.

The briefing finds attempting to track the use of SVROs is hindered by restricted data access. It argues that this lack of transparency undermines public accountability.