Police educate youngsters
Police in Torquay recently deployed a mobile knife arch to an under-18s music event to educate and deter young people from carrying a knife.
The popular evening event, which sold over 850 tickets to people under the age of 18, took place on Saturday 20 April.
The knife arch, which looks similar to security scanners used in airports, was positioned at the entrance of the venue to scan everyone entering the premises.
The arch works instantly, flashing red when there is a positive result for a metal object and green for a negative scan.
No knives were found.
Inspector Chris Lithgow, said: “Knife crime is not a major problem in our region, but “Taking the arch to events also shows young people, and the public, that our officers take it seriously.”
“The knife arch has been used across a variety of events in the Torbay area, including outside a nightclub in Torquay, scanning over 1,000 people. There are a total of two knife arches across Devon & Cornwall.”
Carrying a knife illegally can result in arrest and a criminal record for under 18s.
Adults face up to four years in prison or an unlimited fine for illegal possession.
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