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Results from successful week action against knife crime
| Author: Suffolk Police | Published: 4th April 2019 16:22 |
Knife
Results from successful week action against knife crime
Operation Sceptre, the national week of action against knife crime, took place between 11th and 18th March and was proactively supported by Suffolk Constabulary. The operation highlights the risks that carrying a bladed weapon can bring, as well as targeting offenders who use and carry knives.
Officers carried out weapons sweeps in Alexandra Park, Christchurch Park in Ipswich as well as other public areas in the town centre. A knife, three screwdrivers and scissors were recovered.
Police also delivered a number of knife awareness sessions into schools across the county as part of our revitalised programme of educational inputs to address the issues directly to young people and children.
Knife amnesty bins across the county exist to give people the opportunity to dispose of knives and blades safely. Since the Bin a Blade campaign was launched in Suffolk in 2011, 23,856 bladed items have been deposited and destroyed. A new knife amnesty bin was installed near the junction of Stricklands Road and Ipswich Street in Stowmarket on Monday 11 March.
Three knife bins are located in Ipswich (outside the Fire Station, Queen's Way and Bramford Road) and at police stations in Lowestoft, Bury St Edmunds, Mildenhall, Sudbury and Haverhill. Apart from the newly installed Stowmarket bin, the amnesty bins were last emptied in September 2018.
Bury St Edmunds 865 items including 720 bladed items and 145 knuckle dusters*
Haverhill 26 items
Mildenhall 126 items
Sudbury nil
Stowmarket 36 items (opened on 11/03)
Ipswich Fire Station 500 items
Ipswich Queen's Way 170 items
Ipswich Bramford Road nil
Lowestoft 151 items
*The amnesty blade bin in Bury St Edmunds was emptied in March 2019 and contained 755 weapons including 610 knives and 145 knuckle dusters. It was further emptied during the Sceptre week and 110 knives removed.
Superintendent Kerry Cutler, said: "Operation Sceptre allows police forces across the country to remind people of the dangers of carrying a knife and also the potential consequences people face.
"Knife crime has devastating effects on victims, families and communities. We must break this cycle of violence and address the perception of young people who say they need to carry a knife to protect themselves. Let me be clear - knives have no place on our streets.
"You may think carrying a knife will ensure your safety and give you protection, but in reality if you carry a knife there is a greater risk it will be used, either by you or on you. If you carry a knife you could use it in heat of the moment and seriously injure or kill someone, or it could be used on you. This is a key message which we emphasis in our awareness-raising work with children and young people across Suffolk. I would also encourage parents and carers to consider having the conversation with their children, setting out the facts."
For more information and advice regarding #HavingTheConversation see http://www.suffolk.police.uk/advice/personal-safety/knife-crime/having-conversation
Suffolk's Police and Crime Commissioner Tim Passmore said: "Operation Sceptre gives the Constabulary an opportunity to raise awareness of knife crime and also give people an opportunity to deposit blades safely - I fully support this work.
"We need to do all we can through education, peer pressure, policing and sentencing to make it absolutely clear that it's never acceptable for a person to carry a knife or weapon. I find it really disappointing that anyone carries a blade of any kind. I would implore all parents to talk to their children about the dangers of knife crime.
"This growing trend has got to stop, carrying a knife just doesn't make you safe, it can lead to dreadful consequences."
Anyone with information on knife crime in their local community is asked to contact Suffolk Police on 101, or pass information to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. In an emergency, always dial 999.
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