Knife bins located in towns and districts across York
and North Yorkshire have now collected more than 8,500 bladed
items since the programme's countywide expansion began in early
2025.
Between December 2025 and May 2026, more
than 5,583 bladed items were collected.
The bins allow members of the public to dispose of knives and
other bladed items safely and anonymously. Items are collected
and destroyed by North Yorkshire Police, ensuring they cannot
fall into the wrong hands.
Designed and delivered by the Community Safety team at North
Yorkshire Council, the project builds on a
successful pilot launched in Harrogate in January 2023. The
Harrogate bin has now collected 3,951 bladed items in
total, up from 2,465 at the time of the countywide rollout.
Following the success of the pilot, the York and North
Yorkshire Combined Authority funded an expansion of
the project through a £15,000 grant
from the York and North Yorkshire Serious Violence
Duty (SVD) Prevention and Early Intervention Fund.
Knife Bins were installed in Selby, Tadcaster, Ripon,
Knaresborough, Boroughbridge, Skipton, Settle, Stokesley,
Northallerton, Thirsk, Richmond, Colburn, Malton, Pickering,
Scarborough, Whitby and multiple locations across York.
While knife crime in North
Yorkshire remains significantly lower than
the national average, the project reflects a
shared commitment by the Combined Authority, City of York Council
and North Yorkshire Police to reduce serious
violence and remove dangerous weapons from our streets
before crimes can be committed.
North Yorkshire Police
provide an interactive map of the locations of the knife
bins, as well as guidance on how to safely dispose of bladed
weapons.
, York and
North Yorkshire Deputy Mayor for Police, Fire and Crime
said:
“Thankfully we live in one of the safest regions of the
country, but violent crime does still happen here and
unfortunately crimes involving weapons have been
increasing.
Knife crime devastates lives and families. Removing knives
from circulation is one of the most direct ways we can protect
our communities.
"The Mayor and I are
committed to supporting early intervention activities to protect
the public.
"That's why we've provided funding for a
series of knife drop bins across the region, as a result
of which more than 8,500 bladed items have been taken out of
circulation.
"Thank you to our partners with this project, especially the
two local authorities and North Yorkshire Police. Every knife
taken off the street can help to make our region safer for
everyone.”
North Yorkshire Council's executive member for corporate
services, Cllr Heather Phillips, said:
“This initiative, designed and delivered by the community
safety team at North Yorkshire Council, is making a real, visible
difference in keeping our communities safe. Every item safely
disposed of is one less weapon on our streets and one less chance
for serious harm to occur.
“It is especially encouraging to see communities across North
Yorkshire playing their part in supporting the council's scheme.
The continued use of these bins shows how residents are actively
helping to prevent violence and make their areas safer.
“By working closely with our partners, we are taking
practical, preventative action that helps protect residents and
reinforces our shared commitment to community safety.”
