Knife drop bins to be set up across North Yorkshire
The idea is to stop them falling into the wrong hands
Knife drop bins are being set up across North Yorkshire to help drive down crime. People will be encouraged to wrap knives or blades in thick paper and cardboard and put them through the hatch.
The bins will then be emptied by officers from North Yorkshire Police and the items disposed of.
The announcement follows a pilot scheme which saw a knife drop bin installed at the Dragon Road car park in Harrogate.
Since January, more than 500 knives and bladed articles have been deposited at the drop off point.
Locations are currently being considered for the new knife drop bins.
"Devastating consequences"
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for corporate services, Cllr David Chance, said he was delighted the bid for funding had been approved.
“Knife bins will not reduce these horrendous statistics on their own, but they have proven to be a successful way of preventing knives and bladed articles from getting into the wrong hands,” he said.
“Knife crime has devastating consequences for all those involved. If installing these bins leads to the prevention of just one death, then the investment will have been worthwhile.”
North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Zoë Metcalfe, said knife drop bins had proven their worth wherever they were located.
“I am delighted that my office has been able to provide funding to this project. We can never truly reverse the impact of a violent crime after it has occurred, and so it is crucial that we are able to support preventative measures like this which are proven to reduce the risk of these crimes happening in the first place,” she said.
“The Office of the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner currently supports a range of services designed to do just that, providing support for victims of crime as well as addressing the underlying causes of reoffending.
“North Yorkshire is statistically one of the safest parts of the UK, but that does not mean we should ever rest on our laurels, and we will always strive to ensure that residents of our region are able to be safe and feel safe.”