KNIVES can be anonymously surrendered to police in Warwickshire for the next week.
Warwickshire Police is appealing for people to hand in their knives as part of a one-week knife surrender campaign starting today (Monday, April 26) and ending on Sunday (May 2).
The campaign will be running as part of the Operation Sceptre knife awareness campaign, a coordinated national initiative to tackle knife crime.
Warwickshire Police will have knife surrender bins at stations in Rugby, Leamington and Nuneaton.
A spokesperson said: “Many knives are held in innocence, or ignorance of their illegality. The surrender gives people the chance to dispose of the knife anonymously with no questions asked, by simply dropping it into a knife bin at their local station.”
Supt Mike Smith added: “Knife crime can have a devastating effect on people’s lives, and one incident of knife crime is one too many.
“Knife crime not only impacts upon victims but also their family, friends, and the wider community.
“People have one week in which they can anonymously deposit their knives or blades into a surrender bin at a local police station. I would urge people to take this opportunity and help prevent further tragedies.”
During the campaign, those surrendering knives will not have to give any personal details and will not face prosecution for carrying them.
However, the force will carry out an investigation and seek to prosecute if they believe a knife has been used to commit a criminal offence.
Throughout the campaign, local policing teams will be running events raising awareness of the dangers of knife crime. They will also maintain a zero-tolerance approach to people carrying knives who will be arrested as normal and appropriate action will be taken.
During Warwickshire Police’s last knife surrender campaign in 2019, 83 blades were handed in – 35 in Leamington, 17 in Stratford, 15 in Rugby, and 16 in Nuneaton.
