30 knives surrendered across Gwent during week of action
Sceptre aims to tackle knife crime and serious violence
Gwent Police say 30 knives have been surrendered during this year's week of action - Sceptre.
It's a nationwide week of action to tackle knife crime and serious violence, with the aim of removing dangerous weapons from our streets, reduce knife crime and raise awareness of the dangers and consequences of carrying a weapon.
Officers supported trading standards departments at local authorities in test purchases at 36 retailers to make sure bladed items were sold legally and responsibly.
They linked up with British Transport Police (BTP) for a joint operation across the rail network in Newport, Torfaen and Monmouthshire.
Officers visited 11 schools across the force area to educate children on the dangers of carrying knives.
And the independent charity Crimestoppers’ youth brand, Fearless, held knife-crime education sessions aimed to empower young people to speak up about crime, 100% anonymously.
Keeping communities safe
Sergeant Phill Jones, Gwent Police’s lead for Sceptre, said: "We work year-round to tackle knife crime, but Sceptre gives us the opportunity to highlight this ongoing work and the impact it has on keeping our communities safe.
"Knife crime can have a devastating impact and while policing plays a big role in reducing knife crime, we cannot address the issue alone.
"During the week, we supported local authorities to carry out test purchase operations - and only one retailer failed to challenge the age of the young people making a purchase.
"We carried out proactive patrols, stop-searches and acted on police-led and community intelligence about people who may carry a weapon on our streets.
"We saw a high volume of knives deposited into our permanent amnesty bins at police stations where people could safely and anonymously dispose of weapons."
Sergeant Jones emphasised that no-one should ever be a victim of knife crime.
He stressed that officers would continue to work with partners to raise awareness of the dangers of carrying a weapon and take action against those who did.
He said: "Carrying a knife or other weapons doesn’t protect you. A knife can make a situation worse, which is why we continue to speak with young people to educate them on the consequences of carrying bladed articles. Every knife taken off our streets is potentially another life saved."