Hundreds of knives have been surrendered in Hertfordshire during the latest knife amnesty, which concluded on Sunday, September 22.
The amnesty began on Monday, September 16 and was part of a national campaign, Operation Sceptre, being run by police forces across the country to reduce the number of illegal knives in circulation.
Due to an increase in knife-related incidents across the country over recent years, the amnesty provided a great opportunity to communicate some strong messages and issue advice about the risks of carrying a knife in public.
During the amnesty 680 knives were surrendered across the county which included a throwing axe, cleavers, combats knives, a folding lock knife, a butterfly knife, bayonettes and a WWII dagger.
Other activities carried out during the campaign included test purchase operations with cadets, to ensure retailers were adhering to laws regarding knife sales to those under 18.
Knife arches and wands were deployed and knife sweeps were also conducted at locations across the county.
Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire, David Lloyd, said: “It can be worrying to see this amount of knives being handed in, but every one that is given to the police means it is not on the street.
“Hertfordshire remains a safe place to live and work, but we are not immune to the threat of knife crime, which is an issue across the country. These amnesties are an integral part of Hertfordshire’s Serious Violence Strategy to reduce the number of knives on the streets, but also to send the message out that carrying a knife won’t keep you safe.”
Inspector Nicola Dean, from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Crime Reduction Unit who led the campaign, said: “The public continue to support our knife amnesties and we have managed to take hundreds of potential weapons off of our streets.
“The amnesties form an integral part of our serious violence strategy and by conducting them regularly, we hope that the message is getting out there that carrying a knife is not a normal thing to do.
“The amnesties support the other work we are doing every week within our schools and through our other projects, working with young people in the county. As part of this strategy we are working with our partners in education, local government and social services to educate young people about the potential consequences of carrying a knife.
“Our #livesnotknives hashtag is also being shared by our partners in sport across their social media networks, reinforcing the message that carrying a knife can quickly lead to a prison sentence, serious injury or worse.”
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