Knife Crime Prevention Orders pilot scheme

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.23.027998

I note you seek access to the following information:

Redefined request:

I would be grateful if you could provide answers to the following questions about Knife Crime Prevention Orders (KCPOs):

1. How many Knife Crime Prevention Orders (KCPOs) have been granted by the courts since the pilot began?
2. How many KCPOs have been issued alongside other criminal penalties (e.g., a custodial sentence)?
3. How many KCPOs have been refused?
4. What is the demographic breakdown of those who were issued with KCPOs, by gender, age, race, and borough?
5. How many KCPOs were issued to individuals believed by police to be carrying knives?

I see that the KCPO pilot has been extended until March 2023. In light of this, I would also like to ask:

6. What are the reasons for the extension of the KCPO pilot to March 2023?

I did notice the Met were able to answer a very similar list of questions about KCPOs in an earlier FOI (reference number 01/FOI/22/023914) in full. Although I appreciate that the effort needed to answer all my questions at this stage of the pilot risks breaching your cost threshold, I would be very grateful for answers to simplified versions of my original questions nine and 11 if that is possible (simplified versions below):

7. How many KCPOs have been breached so far?
8. What is the aggregate total of searches conducted on individuals with KCPOs so far?

Decision

I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full.

Please find below information pursuant to your request above.

Q1 - How many Knife Crime Prevention Orders (KCPOs) have been granted by the courts since the pilot began?

138

Q2 - How many KCPOs have been issued alongside other criminal penalties (e.g. a custodial sentence)?

137

Q3 - How many KCPOs have been refused?

61

Q4 - What is the demographic breakdown of those who were issued with KCPOs, by gender, age, race, and borough?

See attached excel spreadsheet.

Q5 - How many KCPOs were issued to individuals believed by police to be carrying knives?

All the subjects were found or believed to carry knives.

I see that the KCPO pilot has been extended until March 2023. In light of this, I would also like to ask:

Q6 - What are the reasons for the extension of the KCPO pilot to March 2023?

The KCPO pilot was extended to March 2023 to allow an independent evaluation to take place effectively.

I did notice the Met were able to answer a very similar list of questions about KCPOs in an earlier FOI (reference number 01/FOI/22/023914) in full. Although I appreciate that the effort needed to answer all my questions at this stage of the pilot risks breaching your cost threshold, I would be very grateful for answers to simplified versions of my original questions nine and 11 if that is possible (simplified versions below):

Q7 - How many KCPOs have been breached so far?

36

Q8 - What is the aggregate total of searches conducted on individuals with KCPOs so far?

We are unable to answer this as data is not recorded at time of stop and search as to whether a person has a KCPO or not. It should also be noted that stop and search is not a criteria for post KCPO conditions and wonder if the requester is becoming confused with Serious Violence Reduction Orders which do give police power to stop and search as a condition. SVRO’s are not in force and will not be piloted in the MPS.