Vast number of knives being surrendered across Avon & Somerset, police reveal
The news comes as Avon and Somerset Police take part in a week of action against knife crime
A senior Avon and Somerset Police officer says as many as 1,000 knives are currently being surrendered to them on average, every month.
Chief Inspector Mike Vass has revealed the figure to Hits Radio as the constabulary takes part in a nationwide week of action against knife crime, as part of Operation Sceptre.
Whilst work to tackle the problem goes on all year round, such weeks take place twice every 12 months to give officers the chance to focus more on the issue, for a seven day period.
"We're a few days in now and it runs right through to the 17th...then we have a small period where we just collate our results and then reflect and share with the wider public what's been going on with our wider teams."
Things that take place during such weeks of action include school visits to educate young people about the dangers of knives, weapon sweeps in parks and public places and, sometimes, raids on properties linked to knife crime.
In the past knife amnesty's have also been held, when people in possession of illegal weapons can surrender them to police without the risk of prosecution, though one of these is not taking place currently.
Despite that, Chief Inspector Vass tells us about the number being disposed of in special surrender bins, which are increasingly being installed in public areas, away from police stations.
"The communities engage with them greatly," CI Vass said.
"The four pilot sites that have been present in Bristol over the last year, they've been emptied now on two separate occasions in each quarter. Each unit is receiving between 100 and 200 surrendered items in each site, so that is quite encouraging.
"Overall across our estate in Avon and Somerset now, we see in the region of around 1,000 items on average surrendered across those sites, which is vast."
In total, surrender bins exist in 22 different locations across the force area, the majority of which are directly outside police stations.
In Bristol however, a pilot scheme has seen four installed elsewhere; in Brunswick Square, Castle Park, Stapleton Road and outside The Park Centre in Knowle. The first two installed, in Castle Park and at The Park Centre, were put in place in April 2023.
Why are so many being handed in?
It is hard to know what the main factor is, but it was hoped that installing bins away from police stations, as has happened in Bristol, would encourage more people to use them. These figures may point to that being true.
However, Chief Inspector Vass believes the number is likely so high, at least partly because of a recent ban introduced on the sale or possession of zombie knives.
On 24th September it became illegal to posses or sell such weapons without a legitimate purpose, with zombie knives described by the government as those over eight inches long, often with a serrated edge, spikes or more than two sharp points.
In the weeks leading up to the ban's introduction a special surrender scheme meant anyone who handed in such a weapon, would receive compensation.
"This was mainly targeted at retailers that historically purchased the stock legally and had then been storing it and taking it off of sale when that legislation came in," CI Vass said.
"So we have seen large volumes of surrenders during that, which has uplifted our overall surrender this year."
We're told that thanks to a special deal with a metal works company in the region, those knives are now being melted down and used as part of a scheme helping educate young people, with the police set to reveal more details in the new year.