OFFICERS in Warrington are this week supporting a national campaign aimed at keeping knives off the streets while educating residents and retailers about the dangers of possessing a blade.
From Monday, 19 May 2025 to Friday, 24 May 2025, officers from the Warrington Neighbourhood teams will be intensifying their efforts to tackle knife crime as part of Operation Sceptre. This initiative aims to engage with residents, retailers, and young people across the county to promote knife safety and recover bladed articles. Through joint working with partners at TORUS housing, a machete (pictured) was seized.
A knife-sweep in the Great Sankey area also saw two knives seized.
The knife-sweep at Great Sankey
A number of activities have been taking place across Warrington, including:
• Knife arches at schools and colleges and inputs of first aid and the dangers of choosing to carry a knife or blade
• Knife arches and knife sweeps in public and hotspot areas across the town
• Knife surrender bins in various locations
• Joint efforts with youth services and the Warrington Youth Zone to ensure the young people of the town are correctly safeguarded and know who to contact in an emergency
• Engagement with local businesses around appropriate sales of knives through test purchase operations
Knife crime in the county remains comparatively low when compared to other forces in England and Wales, with recent figures showing that possession of weapons offences across the county have fallen by 6.6 per cent, with 727 incidents recorded in the 12 months to April 2025, compared to 778 recorded in the previous year.
However, it is crucial to highlight the dangers of carrying knives through engagement and education to prevent any incidents.
Inspector Chris Webster of Warrington Neighbourhoods said:”We want to assure residents that officers work to tackle the impact of knife crime 365 days a year, with this Sceptre week being a great example to highlight all the proactive policing and engagement initiatives we use to keep Warrington’s streets weapons free.
“We are fortunate to have a low crime rate involving knives in Warrington, however, our neighbourhood teams will continue to ensure this remains the case through engagement with community groups, schools and retailers across the town and providing education to those who need it.”
Anyone who knows someone who carries a knife or has been a victim of street robbery can report it to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their website.
Information can also be passed to the force online here.
