A national week of action tackling knife crime, known as Operation Sceptre, took place last week – between 15th-21st May – with Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary taking more than 100 weapons off the streets.
alongside other forces across the country, carried out policing operations and activities with partners, schools and organisations to make our streets safer.
Officers focused their efforts throughout the week on relentlessly pursuing criminals known to carry offensive weapons, who are involved in criminal activity, but also to use the Op Sceptre week of action to focus on the prevention and education of young people about the dangers of carrying a weapon.
123 knives were disposed of across the Force region by members of the public using the knife surrender bins that were installed in 16 locations in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, including in Sandown and Ventnor.
During this week of action, there was an increase in stop searches, from 63 to 142, compared to Op Sceptre last November, with 14 knives recovered and 17 arrests, as part of targeted patrols and intelligence-led policing.
Inspector Sarah Nicholson, Knife Crime Tactical Lead for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Constabulary, has said:
“Throughout the week of Operation Sceptre, Officers have carried out intelligence-led activity across all the districts, concentrating on knife crime hotspots and focussing on those individuals known to carry knives. They have also focussed on preventing knife crime, engaging with communities, carried out knife sweeps and promoted education around the dangers of carrying knives. The operation has been a huge success with some excellent results and community engagement to prevent knife crime has been carried out in every District.
“We’ve also been working very closely with the charity, Fearless, who have been an excellent support in engaging and educating young people around the dangers and ramifications of knife crime. We launched an impactful campaign together that highlighted the truths surrounding knife crime, raising awareness around reporting crimes anonymously, and encouraging them to not carry a knife for their own safety and the safety of others. The response has been incredible.
Article continues below this advertisement “Knife crime will continue to be a priority for us, beyond the national week of action, to ensure people feel safe in their communities. We will continue to work with partners and will relentlessly pursue criminals who choose to carry a knife and be involved in criminal activity.
“I would like to thank all our partners who have worked with us to engage and educate and make Hampshire and Isle of Wight a safe place to live and visit, as well as all those who surrendered knifes during the week.
“I would encourage anyone who knows anyone carrying a knife or in fear from knife crime to report this via one of the links below, as we need the community to help us identify those individuals involved in knife crime and prevent harm.”
Following on from the Operation Spectre, Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones said:
“I cannot thank the public enough for the support and help they have given during this week of action.
“It’s shown that knife crime and serious violence is being tackled head on across Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight because it has such a destructive impact on families and across whole neighbourhoods.
“Operation Sceptre has sent a clear and consistent message, through education and engagement, that our communities deserve to be safe and as Commissioner I am working tirelessly to ensure that Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary has all the resources it needs to drive down knife crime.”
I don’t believe this to be true. Someone close to me got stabbed violently in a attack to burgle the house. Not long ago.The police dropped it because they couldn’t give the names of the offenders when they were masked and hoods up!!!! A few months later. Letter comes case closed. These offenders are walking the streets of the Isle of Wight and the police do not care for any victims.. so sad.
The clear and consistent message is…the police can’t or won’t do anything about a stabbing or knife crimes unless you know your victims and hand it to the on a plate. They could of died as a result to this horrific crime. They didn’t protect us or even want to know. Worked all my life and paid taxes to the police force and never have helped me. This is misleading info as usual….how many people have to get hurt so sad
I think it is very misleading when they say Hampshire and Isle of Wight police… How many were confiscated on the Isle of Wight ? In my opinion there should be just Isle of Wight police force, not joined with Hampshire.. also they do not seem to open up about how many Police actually live and work on the Island , wonder why that is.. they always state Hampshire and Isle of Wight have xxx amount of police..
still think we would be better off without being combined with Hampshire in anything.
“The response has been incredible.” Sure was ha
There’s no point doing this. Any idiot can open a kitchen drawer, take out a knife and go for a walk.
Just complete nonsense. Can’t even sell a blunt butter knife or putty knife to a working 17 year old now because it has knife in the title. To up numbers of ‘worthile’ prosecutions the Peelers send around big, young lads with beards to buy filling knives and then call the CPS to get a case. This world is mad.
It is the ‘type’ of person that is the problem, not the implement.
For the certain ‘type’ use acid, guns, knives and even vehicles to kill or maim.
Oddly such things were very rare here ONCE.
I wonder what has changed that ‘cannot’ ever now be mentioned for this to be such an issue?