More than 400 weapons handed into Wiltshire Police voluntarily
Police release the results of their two-week knife amnesty operation
Last updated 8th Jun 2023
A total of 439 knives have been handed in across Wiltshire, as part of a two-week national policing initiative to tackle knife crime.
As part of Operation Sceptre, twelve knife surrender bins were placed in locations across the county from 15 May to 27 May, allowing members of the public to hand in bladed weapons voluntarily and anonymously.
Kitchen knives, machetes, so-called 'zombie knives', samurai swords and an axe were some of the weapons seized.
Inspector David Tippets who led the operation in Wiltshire, said:
"It has been a positive two weeks of action across Wiltshire and I'm pleased with the number of knives that have been handed in across the county.
"It demonstrates that the public is aware of the dangers of knife crime and are determined to proactively reduce the likelihood of violent incidents, the kind of which we have seen in recent months."
Alongside the knife amnesty campaign, Wiltshire Police officers also visited schools and gave presentations to young people on the risks of carrying knives.
According to the Office for National Statistics, last year there were 310 reported serious offences involving a knife in Wiltshire alone, compared to 245 in 2019 (pre-pandemic levels).
Inspector Tippets added that knife crime is on the rise nationally and has appealed for the community to help tackle the issue.
"Knife crime remains a complex issue and is not a problem which policing can tackle alone.
"It's been really positive to see all the different examples where we are working in collaboration with partner organisations to address some of the root causes and support young people in making informed choices."
Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson said:
"Operation Sceptre has taken a broad and comprehensive approach to tackling knife crime, and the amount of proactive work undertaken by Wiltshire Police over the past few weeks has led to many weapons being surrendered.
"Each knife taken off the streets is a step towards making the streets of Wiltshire safer.
"We have engaged with local schools, community groups and charities to educate our young people and challenge the misconception that carrying a knife or weapon makes people seem big or clever by demonstrating that the consequences are serious and too often real."