Last week, Basingstoke officers took part in a national week of action to tackle knife crime.

Op Sceptre, which is led by the National Police Chiefs’ Council, saw officers take dedicated action to make our communities safer from knife-related crimes. 

In Basingstoke, officers visited The Warren youth club to discuss the risks of carrying knives and also carried out joint patrols with Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s Community Safety Patrol Officers in hotspot areas. 

Officers also worked with YMCA to raise knife-crime awareness and offered the surrender of any knives or bladed articles. 

Meanwhile, officers worked in partnership with RESET, an OPCC initiative to support young adults, and helped raise awareness to try and divert people away from criminality.

PC Rachael Pell, a Violent Crime Taskforce Officer, said: “We take knife crime extremely seriously and our officers want to reach as many people as possible to make them aware of the negative impact it can have. 

“During Op Sceptre, we reached out to people of all ages and educated them on the risks and dangers of carrying a knife.

“Our officers will continue to do everything in their power to ensure Basingstoke and Deane is not targeted by people intent on using violence and weapons.”