Hertfordshire Police to carry out week of action to tackle knife crime

Hertfordshire Police will conduct a week of action to combat knife crime next week as park of Operation Sceptre, a national knife crime initiative

Knife related crime remains lower in Hertfordshire than in other parts of the country, but the campaign - from Monday, November 9, to Sunday, November 15 - aims to reinforce the message that carrying a knife is illegal and will not help to keep you safe.

During the week the force will be conducting activities aimed at reducing knife crime, including conducting knife sweeps and talking to retailers about making sure knives sales are age checked, as well as educating young people about the dangers of carrying a knife through engagement.

Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire, David Lloyd, said: “Hertfordshire remains a low crime area with much less knife and serious crime than many parts of the country.

"But we are not immune from national trends, which includes criminals travelling in from London and across county lines.

“Understandably knife carrying and serious youth violence is a high public concern, which is why my office and the Constabulary are putting considerable effort and resources in to combat it.

“Operation Sceptre is one of the strategies used, every blade removed from the streets takes away the risk of it being used to threaten or injure someone.”

Inspector Nicola Dean from the Crime Reduction Team, who is leading on the operational activity for Operation Sceptre, said: “Whilst crime remains at a lower level than in previous years, due to the pandemic, we want to take the opportunity to drive down the number of knives in circulation.

“Regular weeks of action are part of our wider strategy to tackle violent crime.

"During the week we will be conducting operations to reduce knife-related crime and to raise awareness of knife crime and that it is illegal to carry a knife in public and may lead to arrest.

“The week of action also provides opportunities to engage with young people about the dangers of carrying a knife and raise awareness amongst local businesses that selling certain knives to anyone under 18 is illegal”

Hertfordshire Constabulary‘s Gangs and Schools team has been live streaming events for young people via Instagram, to raise awareness of the danger of knife crime and gang involvement. You can view the most recent broadcast here.

If you are concerned or have information about someone carrying knives or are aware of anyone involved in knife crime you can report this by calling the Hertfordshire Police on 101.

You can also report information online at herts.police.uk/report or speak to an operator in our Force Communications Room via our online web chat, which can be launched here: herts.police.uk/contact.

Alternatively, you can stay anonymous by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their untraceable online form at crimestoppers-uk.org.