Dozens of knives surrendered in Hertfordshire during amnesty week
Dozens of knives have been surrendered in Hertfordshire, police have confirmed.
Hertfordshire Constabulary announced that 76 bladed items were given in during an amnesty week held across the county.
Between May 19-25, police officers in Hertfordshire visited schools and took part in proactive stings fighting knife crime.
This activity formed part of a larger national campaign called, Operation Sceptre.
Police officers informed students and young adults of the dangers of knife crime and the risks associated with carrying a weapon.
They also completed what Hertfordshire Constabulary has described as enhanced enforcement activity which involved weapons detection operations, stop searches and visits to known knife carriers and offenders on probation.
In total, the police force visited more than 15 schools and colleges. Police staff ran sessions involving VR headsets to simulate situations involving knife and gang crime. Students were asked to fill out a survey relating to knife crime, which will be analysed by the police.
Police officers also checked policies at more than 18 shops to make sure that weapons are not being illegally sold to under 18s. Hertfordshire Constabulary has revealed each store that was tested carried out the required age checks.
Inspector Ben Harper, who led the campaign, said: “Fighting knife crime is part of our regular business, but the weeks of action are a great opportunity to focus our attention on this issue and raise awareness of the harm that can and often does occur if you chose to carry a knife.
“The majority of young people who think about carrying a knife believe that it will make them safer, in fact the opposite is true. In most cases the person with the knife is the one who gets injured. Even if you do not get injured, you are likely to injure someone else or end up with a lengthy prison sentence. We arrange many awareness raising events in schools, colleges and online, throughout the year, to educate young people about these dangers.”
Hertfordshire Constabulary is directing people who require knife crime support to Fearless.org. Information relating to crimes involving bladed weapons can be reported online, via the police force’s web chat service, or by calling 101.