Knife Crime Prevention Orders (KCPOs) were introduced
through the Offensive Weapons Act 2019 and will give
officers an additional tool to steer those most at risk
away from violent crime.
The civil orders can be imposed by courts on any person
aged 12 or over who police believe is regularly carrying a
knife, or upon conviction of a knife-related offence.
Legislation to pave the way for the launch of the pilot was
laid in Parliament today (Wednesday 4 March).
The orders are intended to be preventative rather than
punitive, to help people change their behaviour and avoid
being drawn into knife crime.
Courts will be able to stop those under an order from
associating with certain people, introduce geographical
restrictions, and set curfews.
They will also include positive requirements such as
attendance at educational courses, life skills programmes,
participation in group sports, drug rehabilitation and
anger management classes.
Minister for Crime and Policing said:
We are doing all we can to tackle serious violence and
make our streets safer.
The police have our full support and these new orders are
an example of us ensuring officers have the powers they
need to bear down on violent crime.
Commander Jane Connors from the Metropolitan Police Service
said:
We welcome this legislation that will be a valuable
tactic in preventing violence on the streets of London.
Tackling violence is the Met’s top priority to which our
officers are exploiting all preventative and enforcement
tactics and powers.
The new KCPO’s no doubt will be well received in
protecting young vulnerable individuals, who get caught
up in violence whilst also preventing further acts of
violence and helping to keep our communities safe.
The pilot will run for 14 months from 6 April, with the
intention to introduce the orders across all police forces,
pending assessment after the pilot.
The Offensive Weapons Act, which received Royal Assent in
May 2019, is one aspect of wider action the government is
taking to tackle serious violence. This includes recruiting
20,000 extra police officers over the next three years,
providing the biggest increase in funding for policing in a
decade and introducing new powers to make it easier for
police to stop and search known knife carriers.
