100 knives off streets in Devon & Cornwall

Police amnesty ends

More than 100 knives have been taken off the streets of Devon and Cornwall following a week of police action.

The region's force took part in Operation Sceptre, a national initiative to tackle knife crime, which also involved a series of stop and searches, which led to six arrests in the two counties.

As well as searching suspects, officers carried out high visibility patrols in known hotspots, provided bins for the disposal of knives, carried out property searches and safeguarding visits and visited schools to talk to students about knife crime.

They also provided educational materials to known offenders, including the dangers of carrying a knife and where and how to get help. Among their results:

• Devon and Cornwall Police took 102 knives out of circulation (98 through amnesty, four through seizures).
• 6 people were arrested as a result of targeted activity (2 for knife offences and 4 for other offences)
• 1 Property search warrant for offensive weapons took place.
• 35 patrols targeting knife carrying took place in the counties.
• 26 schools were visited and offered awareness and education on knife carrying. 
• 17 diversion visits took place to offer direct intervention against knife carrying to persons at risk
• 3 offensive weapon warning notices were issued.

Detective Superintendent Scott Bradley of Devon & Cornwall Police said, “The Devon and Cornwall area is one of the safest places to live in the country. In the last Office of National Statistics (ONS) report in June of this year, Devon & Cornwall Police had just 42 knife crimes reported per 100,000 of population, placing us at 37 out of 43 police forces.

“You can see from our results though that we take knife crime very seriously and remain proactive in both educating the public and removing knives from the streets. We remain in a position as a force where knife carrying is the exception rather than the norm – however, raising awareness and targeted activity continues to challenge perceptions of knife crime and identifies and prosecutes those who do cause harm.

“We encourage the public to continue to report any suspicions or concerns to police or to CrimeStoppers UK.”

Police and crime commissioner Alison Hernandez added: “Every weapon taken out of our community makes our residents safer.

 “I’d like to thank all those who took the time to surrender a knife during the amnesty. Although violent crime here is lower than in most police force areas, I am concerned in rises in violence in recent months and would warn those who persist in carrying weapons that tackling it remains a policing priority.

“I am particularly concerned about violence among younger people who may not fully understand the implications of carrying a knife and am pleased that the force has used this operation to get into schools and places of education to encourage children to consider the terrible harm that knife crime causes.”