WEAPONS TAKEN OFF THE STREETS THANKS TO OP SCEPTRE AMNESTY BINS AND HEIGHTENED POLICE ACTIVITY

553 knives were surrendered by the public across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight as part of a recent national police operation to tackle knife crime. Operation Sceptre ran between 13th-19th November, giving Islanders and those further afield the opportunity to safely dispose of any sharps they may have without prosecution for possession. Shockingly, some 4x the number of knives were handed in earlier this month compared to the last week of intensification in May, with a total of 637 knives recovered/seized. This was thanks to direct action such as stop and search activity, sweeps and knife arches. On the Isle of Wight, a habitual knife carrier was stopped and searched in a violence hotspot and was found to be in possession of a knife. She was charged and will appear in court next week. 2 local teenagers were found to have ordered knives off the internet, resulting in both of the Under 18s being handed community resolution orders. Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary upholds a zero-tolerance approach towards offensive weapons and knife crime. Chief Superintendent Clare Jenkins, Serious Violence lead for the force, has said:

“The Offensive Weapons Act 2019 introduced tough new measures to strengthen law enforcement’s response to violent crime. The act makes it illegal to possess dangerous weapons in private, including knuckledusters, zombie knives and death star knives, and you will soon have to verify you are over 18 to buy bladed items from the internet. “These figures for surrendered knives and weapons may sound alarming to the public, but I’d like to offer reassurance that we are tackling knife crime with a zero-tolerance attitude, and the education and awareness of the updated law will have had a large influence on this. The surrender bins provide a safe way for our communities to help clear our towns and cities of offensive weapons and the risk of them falling into the wrong hands, assisting us in tackling serious violence by disposing safely of weapons that are illegal and intent on causing serious injury.”

Communities and young people are encouraged to report information about weapon-enabled crime and other offences either by calling Police on 101 or by giving information anonymously through independent charity, Crimestoppers or their under 18s anonymous reporting service, Fearless which can be accessed via Fearless.org or by calling 0800 555 111. For those parents and professionals concerned about knife crime in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, visit www.safe4me.co.uk for advice, help and support.