Police in Cornwall patrol county's streets as part of knife crime initiative
Officers were on the beat in towns across Cornwall as part of Operation Sceptre
Police have been speaking to the public as part of a county-wide appeal to educate people on knife crime.
As part of Operation Spectre - a nationwide police appeal to tackle knife crime - Devon and Cornwall Police patrolled various towns including Liskeard, Saltash, Looe and Torpoint.
Officers spoke to the public about the dangers surrounding knife crime and what can happen when someone is caught carrying a knife - as well as information of where to dispose of potentially dangerous weapons.
Speaking on the initiative, PC Hayley Gething from the force admitted that knife crime is not a major problem in the county, but this should not lead to complacency.
"This work forms part of our approach to educate and deter people from deciding to carry a knife, so that we can prevent crime from happening now or in the future to keep our communities safe," she said.
“We had some great chats with members of the public, who were interested in finding out more about this topic. The knife arch was also a fantastic talking point to raise awareness of the preventative work we do in Cornwall, drawing lots of people over to try it out.
“Encouraging open conversations like this is key to empowering people to make safe decisions, whether it impacts the person we speak to or if that person shares their knowledge with someone they know. It’s all vital in our efforts to tackle knife crime.”
As well as this, officers were also speaking to young people together with representatives from the Mike's Trust knife charity to raise awareness of knife violence.
"This deterrent and preventative work will continue throughout the year. We want to keep our streets safe and work like this is key in helping us achieve that," PC Gething added.