Hertfordshire takes part in national knife crime campaign

Hertfordshire takes part in national knife crime campaign

Hertfordshire Constabulary will conduct a week of action to combat knife crime between Monday 16 and Sunday 22 November as part of Sceptre, a national knife crime initiative.

Knife-related crime remains low in Hertfordshire compared with other parts of the country, but the force is determined to keep it that way. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the dangers and consequences of carrying a knife and reinforce the message that carrying a weapon does not make you safer.

As part of the initiative officers will carry out targeted enforcement and knife detection activity, informed by local intelligence, alongside visits to retailers to help prevent knives being sold illegally to under-18s. Officers and partners will also visit schools and use social media to speak directly to young people about the dangers and consequences of carrying a knife.

During the campaign, any knives in your possession that you do not want or should not have, can be surrendered at police stations in Hatfield, Stevenage or Watford.

There are also permanent knife surrender bins installed across the county, as part of the Knife Angel initiative. Details of these can be found at www.herts.police.uk/amnesty. 

Items can be surrendered anonymously in the knife bins provided, including banned zombie knives, machetes and ninja swords. The locations and opening times of police stations can be found at www.herts.police.uk/stations. 

Superintendent Chris Hay, Hertfordshire Constabulary’s strategic lead for knife crime, said: 

“Knife crime remains low in Hertfordshire, but we are determined to keep it that way. We regularly support Sceptre alongside policing partners across the country, as part of our continuing effort to drive knife crime down even further.

“Knife crime is a priority for us throughout the year, but Sceptre gives us an opportunity to intensify that activity. We will be speaking to young people in schools and colleges about the risks of carrying a knife, working with retailers and giving people the opportunity to safely surrender weapons they should not have.

“Alongside that prevention work, there will be a strong enforcement focus. Our officers will be carrying out targeted activity across the county, using intelligence to identify and disrupt those we believe are carrying knives or are involved in violence. Where people choose to carry weapons or commit offences, we will take action.

“Carrying a knife does not make you safer and can have devastating consequences. We want to prevent people picking up a knife in the first place, but we will also continue to target those who choose to carry one”.

If you are concerned about someone carrying a knife, or have information about someone involved in knife crime, you can contact Hertfordshire Constabulary on the non-emergency number 101.

Information can also be reported online at herts.police.uk/report, or you can speak to an operator in our Force Communications Room via online web chat at herts.police.uk/contact. 

You can join our community messaging platform Herts Connected to receive free local police messages. You can also choose to receive messages from Neighbourhood Watch, Action Fraud and the Police and Crime Commissioner when you sign up. 

Alternatively, information can be provided 100% anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or through its online form at crimestoppers-uk.org. 

For further information and support relating to knife crime, visit Fearless.org.