Knife crime crackdown begins in East Anglia

11 March 2019, 07:50

All this week, Norfolk and Suffolk Police are asking people to hand in knives as part of a national campaign to try and reduce knife crime.

They are two of 44 forces nationally involved in Operation Sceptre.

Anyone who hands over knives this week can do so without fear of prosecution.

That includes kitchen knives, pen knives, flick knives, machetes and other bladed items.

Knives can be surrendered at any police station, but people are encouraged to take them to their nearest Public Enquiry Office (PEO).

In Norwich, posters raising awareness about the risks of carrying knives will be distributed in key locations across the city, including bus stations, town centres, hospitals and police facilities.

Inspector Darren Brooks from Norfolk Police said: "Norfolk does not have a big knife crime problem but we have seen the impact knife crime can have on victims, their families and the wider community.

"By carrying a knife you are putting yourself in much greater danger, and more likely to become involved in a violent situation and get injured yourself.

"There may be people who have knives and don't how to dispose of them. It's important that these are handed into police to stop them getting into the wrong hands and to reduce the amount of knives being carried on the streets. Every knife surrendered is one less chance of a life being ended or ruined by knife crime."

The number of offences recorded that involved knives or sharp instruments rose by 187 per cent in Norfolk between 2013 and 2018, and by a quarter in Suffolk.