More than two hundred knives taken off the streets in Avon and Somerset
It's part of a week of action against knife crime and serious violence.
More than 200 knives were taken off the streets of Avon and Somerset last week as part of the national policing week of action against knife crime and serious violence, Operation Sceptre.
The operation aims to deter people from carrying knives through community engagement to educate the public about the risks and consequences of carrying a weapon.
School visits, weapons sweeps searching undergrowth and public spaces for any discarded or hidden knives and installing new community bleed kits were just some of the actions that took place.
The results included:
- 73 weapon sweeps, recovering four knives
- 234 knives recovered from seven weapon surrender bins
- Eight stop and searches carried out seizing two knives
- One knife-related arrest, seizing one knife
- Two search warrants carried out, recovering two knives
- 42 community engagement and awareness events delivered
- 53 school engagements, delivering knife-crime awareness sessions
- Six diversion visits to young people identified and linked to carrying knives
- 43 retailer visits advising of laws and safety around knife sales
- One new community bleed kit installed in Castle Park, Bristol
- Two new weapon surrender bins installed in the St. Pauls and Stapleton Road areas of Bristol
Members of the public also had the opportunity to put questions to local officers about the force's efforts to tackle knife crime in two online ‘Ask Me Anything’ sessions on the Bath and Bristol community Reddit pages.
A total of 71 questions were answered, with the two discussion forums reaching a combined audience of more than 50,000 people.
Chief Inspector Mike Vass, knife crime lead for Avon and Somerset Police, said: “This week of action has seen some exceptional results, but it is important to stress that addressing the issues of knife carrying and serious violence is a year-round effort which relies on the support of our communities and partners.
“Our bleed kit and knife surrender campaigns are two fantastic examples of this partnership work, while the investment in educational initiatives being delivered through the Violence Reduction Partnership is another essential element in helping to deter people from becoming involved in serious violence.
“Our key focus throughout is on the drive to encourage young people to stop carrying knives on them in public, by tackling the misconception that people need to arm themselves to be safe. In reality, we know that very few people carry a knife, but to that tiny minority, and any young person who is considering taking a knife out on to the streets with them, I’d urge you to not to do this. Not only is it illegal, but it actually places you at far greater risk of being injured.”
In the year ending September 2023, police recorded 27,846 ‘possession of article with a blade or point’ offences in England and Wales.
Tragically, teenagers remain over twice as likely to be fatally stabbed than they were ten years ago and 82% of homicides among teenage victims involve the use of a sharp instrument.
As part of the work to tackle serious violence involving young people, officers and staff from Avon and Somerset Police and the local Violence Reduction Partnerships deliver education sessions to local schools and colleges.
During the week of action, police also worked with Border Force to crack down on the importation of illegal weapons.
Officers carried out 15 visits across the South West – three in the Avon and Somerset area – to people who bought weapons online, which included flick knives, karambits, butterfly knives and swords.
Many of the people visited were unaware the weapons bought were illegal and so advice and education was provided by the officers.
In one case, a young person had purchased a weapon without the knowledge of the parent.
DI Lucy Edgeworth said: “SWROCU is committed to tackling the importation of illegal knives into the South West by working closely with Avon and Somerset Police and partners to offer advice and assistance and to disrupt this area of criminality.
“The devastation caused by knife crime continues to fracture our communities and destroy lives. I urge parents to have conversations with their children, to search rooms and bags and to know what knives are in your kitchen as they are the most common weapon used to cause serious injury in the UK.”