Police have been cracking down on knife crime with a range of pro-active searches and community visits.
Officers in the Ashfield district have been taking part in a week of coordinated action as part of Operation Sceptre – a county-wide initiative to take knives off our street and reduce violent offending.
On Tuesday coordinated search of Sutton Lawn and Titchfield Park was undertaken to check for hidden weapons that could be used in future offences.
Officers have also been on covert and overt patrol targeting people they suspect to be carrying to knives and other weapons.
Tuesday’s activity did not stop there, however, as visits were also paid to two local residents as part of the nationwide Operation Uchee – a partnership between UK Border Agency and police forces to identify potentially dangerous items in the post and pass recipient details onto the police.
Items such as decorative swords are not necessarily illegal as display items, but officers are keen to spell out the potential risks and make clear what will happen if those items are taken outside.
Two knives were taken away from their owners.
Inspector Mark Dickson, district commander for Ashfield, said: “Knife crime can have a devastating impact on the lives of lives of victims, their families and the perpetrators themselves. Knives and other bladed weapons, once taken onto our streets, have the potential to turn even the most routine disputes and confrontations into deadly and life-changing incidents of violent crime.
“That’s why we put so much effort in throughout the year to proactively managing this issue. We and our partners are already doing a lot of proactive work to tackle this issue, with a particular focus on young people.
“Any young person found with a knife is visited at least twice by officers, and then escalated to a more intense programme of monitoring and intervention if we don’t think they have learned their lesson. We also extend this approach to adults through the local knife crime cohort. So today’s activities are really just another piece in the local jigsaw.”
Sergeant Kate Long took part in efforts to locate weapons at Sutton Lawn and Titchfield Park. She explained: “Many people who end up committing a knife offence don’t leave the house carrying a blade or even make a daily habit of carrying one.
“In order to minimise their chances of getting caught in possession they sometimes hide them (or other weapons) in places where they can get quick access to them if they feel they need them. Whilst we didnlt find any weapons on Tuesday, we have been working today to remove that option form people and to keep them and others safe from harm.”
