Police and partners work together to educate the public on the dangers of knife carrying
Dorset Police is once again taking part in a national campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of knife carrying and knife crime with enhanced enforcement, engagement and education opportunities planned throughout the week.
Sceptre is a national campaign led by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and runs from Monday 11 November to Sunday 17 November 2024.
The overarching aim of the week will be to raise awareness around the consequences and dangers of carrying a knife. Some people – particularly young people – think they will be safer if they carry a knife, when in reality they may be putting themselves in more danger and may even end up being injured by their own knife.
During the week, Dorset Police will be looking to dispel common misconceptions such as this. Various education and community engagement activities will be taking place across the county to raise awareness around knife crime and knife carrying, including the use of knife arches in public spaces and knife education assemblies in schools.
Test purchases of knives will be taking place with local retailers. The Force will be engaging with retailers, ensuring they are aware of who they are selling knives to and confirm they are following the appropriate safety guidelines for legal selling and distribution.
Knife surrender bins will also be provided at Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth police stations during the week of activity. Those who carry knives are encouraged to surrender them without question or repercussions from police, to help keep themselves and others safe. To find the address and opening hours of these police stations, please go to www.dorset.police.uk/PEO.
Chief Inspector Darren Harris, of the BCP Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT), said: “While Dorset remains one of the safest counties in the country to live, we cannot be complacent in how we tackle knife crime and it continues to be a key priority for us.
“Education opportunities in local schools, using the knife arch as an engagement tool in public spaces, test purchases with retailers and the provision of knife surrender bins are just some of the ways we are continuing to proactively raise awareness among our communities of the dangers of knife crime to both prevent and reduce it.
“Although there are weeks of action like this one, I want to reassure the public that tackling and preventing knife crime, as well as remaining vigilant around knife carrying, is a key priority throughout the year. We encourage anyone carrying a knife – particularly young people – to surrender it to their local police station to help us keep themselves and our communities safe.
“Dorset Police will relentlessly strive to remove knives from our streets and pursue those who choose to carry them and commit offences.”
Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner David Sidwick said: “Dorset has one of the lowest rates of knife crime in the country, and we want to keep it that way. But we know that while young people continue to pick up knives to protect themselves, we still have work to do.
“That’s why I am fully supportive of the work taking place not just in the community, but especially in schools and other education settings as part of Sceptre. I have seen first-hand how powerful this bespoke education is and have heard from young people themselves about the positive impact it makes.
“It is imperative we tackle the causes of knife crime at an early stage to prevent further pain and heartbreak. I would urge families to talk to young people in particular about the dangers of carrying knives, as we know this group are more susceptible to thinking they will be safer if they carry them. This is not true, and we all need to be working to dispel misconceptions like this.
“While work to ensure our country remains one of the safest is relentless, I want to be clear that this issue cannot be solved through policing alone. In collaboration with our partners, we need to make sure the right services are provided at the right time. It is down to all of us to do the right thing to drive down this devastating offence, because as we know lives can tragically be lost or changed in a heartbeat.”
If you have any information or concerns about someone carrying a knife, please report it to Dorset Police online via the website www.dorset.police.uk/tua.
You can also report any information anonymously to CrimeStoppers UK on 0800 555111. Your information could help save a life.
Retailers can visit this website for guidance on selling knives: www.nbcc.police.uk/knifeguidance
