A national 21 per cent increase in knife crime means every
force in England and Wales will join Op Sceptre for a
week from February 22 2018.
Two major national operations in 2017 and 2016 saw a total of
around 3,900 weapons seized, nearly 1,000 people arrested and
612 test purchases carried out.
The last two major test purchasing operations have shown around
20 per cent of retailers are selling knives to under-18s.
National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Knife Crime, Deputy
Assistant Commissioner Duncan Ball said:
“I want to see retailers recognise their responsibility to help
keep communities safe and refuse to sell knives to children.
“Previous test purchasing operations have shown that there are
still too many retailers who are selling knives to under-18s -
nearly 20 per cent.
“Responsible retailers have signed up to a voluntary code and
are asking anyone who looks as though they are under 21 for ID,
refusing anyone who can’t provide it and telling the
police. We want them to continue and for other retailers
to follow their example.
“There are many complex drivers of knife crime and we need
a broad approach involving public health and
education to stop it at source but halting the sale of
knives to children is an action we can take now that will
reduce the numbers of knives on the streets."
There is also a concern about online retailers. An operation in
December 2016 by the Metropolitan Police, the Home Office and
Croydon Trading Standards found that a 15 year-old was able to
place orders for knives in 93 per cent of attempts with 53 per
cent of those progressing to actual sales due to subsequent
security measures.
DAC Ball said: “We support the Government’s proposal to
restrict online sales of knives so they cannot be delivered to
a private residential address and must instead be collected at
a place where age ID can be checked.”
DAC Ball also supported the use of stop and search to tackle
knife crime. He said:
“Officers should be confident to use intelligence-led stop and
search. It must be done proportionately and respectfully but it
is an important investigative tool and we must not have a
position where young people believe they can carry a knife
without being caught by police.”
Minister for Crime, Safeguarding and Vulnerability, said:
"This Government is determined to tackle the scourge of knife
crime, and it is outstanding that every single force in England
and Wales has agreed to be part of another week of action.
"Operation Sceptre has already seen strong results and
continues to grow with more knife sweeps, more checks on
retailers and ultimately more dangerous weapons taken off our
streets.
"Selling knives to under 18s is already a criminal offence
which carries a sentence of up to six month sin prison and we
have agreed a set of commitments with major retailers to
prevent the underage sales of knives more generally in their
stores and online. We have also recently consulted on proposals
to strengthen the law to make it harder for children to buy
knives online."
