More than 1100 knives have been taken off the streets across Lancashire’s East Division as part of Sceptre, a national week-long initiative to tackle knife crime.
Officers from East Division, which covers the areas of Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn, Burnley, Pendle, the Ribble Valley and Rossendale, carried out a range of both operational and proactive engagement work throughout the week.
Operational activity included:
· 43 test purchase visits to check retailers are complying with legislation and not selling knifes to those under the age of 18. Five retailers sold knives to children and will now be dealt with jointly by police and trading standards.
· Numerous weapon sweeps in local parks and public spaces.
· School inputs to raise awareness of the impact of carrying a knife, engaging with children from 36 schools.
Officers also engaged with the community through educational talks, community visits and leaflet drops.
The knife surrender bins across East Division were emptied, in which 1111 knives were recovered.
Sergeant Michael Johnson from Lancashire’s Violence Reduction Network said: “Our teams work tirelessly throughout the year to reduce knife crime and make it clear that it has no place in our communities.
“We remain committed to working with partners to engage, educate, and prevent, while taking firm action against those who carry knives.
“If you have information about someone carrying a knife, you can report it anonymously through Crimestoppers.”
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