POLICE in Warrington will next week take part in a national campaign to take knives off the streets.
Operation Sceptre starts on Monday (April 26) and runs until Sunday May 2 aims to reduce the impact of knife crime in communities.
Cheshire has one of the lowest rates of knife crime in England, and statistics show that the number of knife-related offences committed in the county decreased by 24 per cent from the end of March 2020 to the end of March 2021.
But Cheshire Police are determined to further reduce the number of knives carried on in the county – and that includes Warrington.
They have a multi-faceted approach to tackling knife crime.
These include: Community weapons sweeps, Stop and search operations, Warrants being executed in related to knife crime, Intelligence-led action against habitual knife carriers, Test purchase operations.
In addition there are engagement events working alongside partner agencies such as community groups, housing associations and Trading Standards to educate residents about the laws surrounding buying and carrying knives.
They also visit education establishments to talk to young people about the potentially fatal consequences of carrying weapons and speak to retailers that sell knives about security. They arrange for more bleeding control kits being in place at community venues.
The operation will also see constabularies work alongside Border Force to identify people who import knives into the country from overseas, as well as those who buy weapons online, and take the appropriate action.
Chief Inspector Sarah Heath, who is Cheshire’s knife crime lead, said: “Nationally, knife crime is a growing problem, and the week-long Operation Sceptre campaign is an initiative that the force is always more than happy to support.
“We were severely restricted in terms of the work we could do during last year’s two weeks of action for Operation Sceptre, with them having fallen when the country was in lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Now that we have come out of lockdown, there are more avenues open to us in terms of tackling knife crime across Cheshire over the seven days. However, knife crime is an issue that the force tackles throughout the year, with officers working day and night to protect communities.
“We take knife crime extremely seriously and are proud of the fact that Cheshire has a lower rate of knife crime than most other counties in England.
“When people carry knives, it is only a matter of time before someone suffers life-changing injuries or is killed, and if you carry a knife then you are much more likely to be involved in a knife crime. As all the statistics show, carrying a knife doesn’t make you safer.”
Information can also be passed to police online via https://www.cheshire.police.uk/ro/report.
Anyone who knows someone that carries a knife can report it to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/forms/give-information-anonymously.
