Operation Sceptre, the national police campaign to tackle knife
crime, took place from Monday 16 May to Sunday 22 May 2022, has
seen an increase in the amount of knives removed from our
streets.
All 43 police forces in England and Wales, including the British
Transport Police, took part in the seven-day crack down on knife
crime which saw 1947 people arrested, of which 831 were related
to knife crime offences.
A variety of other tactics were used by forces; including weapons
sweeps, knife arches in public places and events and ‘honesty’
bins to remove knives off the streets. Officers seized 1074
knives, an increase of over 14% since the last Operation Sceptre
week in November 2021, and 8401 were either surrendered or seized
during sweeps.
As part of Operation Sceptre, the police worked closely with HM
Prison Service, in a co-ordinated effort to tackle violence in
prisons, with an intelligence led operation, targeting those
carrying weapons and disrupting the supply of knives/bladed
articles available to use. Across eight prisons, 100 cells and
131 inmates were searched in a targeted approach. Within the
prisons, 29 weapons were found. Among these improvised weapons
were razor blades affixed to toothbrushes and other homemade
handles.
Weapons seized during the week, included machetes, swords and
hunting knives and other forms of criminality such as supplying
drugs were also identified. Police also continued to work closely
with Border Force to stop illegal knives entering the country and
reaching our streets.
Youth engagement forms a significant part of the week, helping
young people to move away from violence and involvement in gang
activity. The week also focused on education and engagement with
members of the public and retailers who sell knives. In total,
1917 schools were engaged with, as well as 966 local community
events, talking about the dangers of knife crime to young people.
The Sceptre week saw many different areas of policing come
together to join forces, ranging from response officers, to
underwater search teams and neighborhood policing teams. The
collaboration of different teams and forces has driven forward
the effort to tackle knife crime.
National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for knife crime,
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Graham McNulty,
said:“Operation Sceptre saw a real crack down on
the serious violence associated with knife crime and has
delivered some outstanding results. We have seen in the last week
9,115 knives taken off our streets and …
… increase to higher levels than ever before. Young people must
understand that carrying a knife is never the answer, nor does it
offer the protection they think it does. It only puts them at
greater risk.”
The Minister for Crime, Policing and Probation,
, said:
“We have to work day and night to keep our kids safe. There is
nothing more terrifying for a parent that the thought of them not
making it home. “Operations like this are helping us make our
streets safer each …
… “Reducing serious violence is our chief priority. We’re on
track to deliver 20,000 additional police officers by this time
next year and we’re giving them the powers they need to keep our
communities safe.”
Prisons Minister, , said:
“Knife crime ruins lives and devastates communities, and I am
extremely proud of those brave prison staff who put their lives
on the line to protect others. “We are clamping down on the
weapons that fuel …
… blades should feel the full force of the law, which is why this
Government have changed the law to make sure anyone convicted of
knife crime more likely than ever to end up behind bars, and for
longer.”
NOTES TO EDITORS
43 forces, as well as the British Transport Police took part.
The week sees an intensification of work that is carried out
across all forces, all year round.
