More than 400 knives surrendered in Hertfordshire during week of action to tackle knife crime

More than 400 knives have been surrendered in Hertfordshire during the latest Operation Sceptre week of action against knife crime, which concluded on Sunday, May 2.

A knife amnesty began on Monday, April 26, and was part of the week of action to reduce the number of illegal knives in circulation.

Due to an increase in knife-related incidents across the country over recent years regular knife amnesties are being carried out, which provide a great opportunity to raise awareness and give advice about the risks of carrying a knife in public.

During the amnesty 412 knives were surrendered across the county.

Other activities carried out during the campaign included engagement events with young people in schools and public areas and visits to retailers to ensure they are adhering to laws regarding knife sales to those under 18.

Knife detection operations, including covert and high visibility patrols and knife sweeps were also conducted at locations across Hertfordshire.

Inspector Nicola Dean, from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Crime Reduction Unit who led the campaign, said: “Knife related incidents have decreased during lockdown and we want to keep these kinds of incidents as low as possible.

"These weeks of action are a great way to focus on knife crime and take knives off of our streets.

"We have also spent a lot of time talking to young people to find out their concerns and warn them about the dangers of carrying knives.

“Knife amnesties form an important part of our serious violence strategy and unfortunately we were unable to carry them out during the recent lockdowns.

"The amnesties support the other work we are doing throughout the year in schools, colleges and through our other projects, working with young people.

"As part of our continuing strategy we are working with our partners in education, local government and social services to educate young people about the potential consequences of carrying a knife.”