Amnesty bins have been rolled out across the county as part of the force’s activity for Sceptre, which began yesterday (11 November).
As with previous Operation Sceptre campaigns, drop-off points have been set up inside police stations across Nottinghamshire, with 12 locations included this time around.
The amnesty bin initiative led to 285 weapons – including not just knives, but bayonets and knuckledusters – being recovered by police during May’s campaign. This followed the recovery of a further 258 blades weeks earlier when the force’s four permanent amnesty bins were emptied for the first time in six months.
Chief Inspector Karl Thomas hopes to see these numbers exceeded during this Sceptre campaign, urging more people to hand over any unwanted or illegal weapons.
“Whether it’s a knife, a sword, or something like a knuckleduster, every weapon we can take off the streets is a positive step and makes our communities safer,” he said.
“It was pleasing to see so many people use our amnesty bin initiative during the last Sceptre campaign, with a mixture of kitchen, lock, flick, and butterfly knives handed in.
“Not only that, but it’s clear the community has been making use of our amnesty bins all year round too, which is important because tackling knife crime isn’t something limited to just Sceptre weeks of action.”
This point was further exemplified by Nottinghamshire’s success in a recent national scheme designed to encourage people to surrender soon-to-be outlawed ‘zombie-style’ knives and machetes to the police.
A total of 724 blades were handed in – either at counters, amnesty bins in police stations, or directly to officers – during the four-week countdown to the law change on 24 September, which made these weapons illegal.
Of these, 445 were confirmed to be zombie-style blades. The response to the initiative was so significant that one individual handed in nearly 90 weapons at a single police station.
Following this success, Ch Insp Thomas has emphasised the importance of maintaining this positive trend, encouraging more residents to “do the right thing” and hand in their knives.
He said: “If people feel hesitant about going into a police station to use our amnesty bins because they’re worried about getting into trouble, I can assure them that this will not be the case.
“As I’ve said before, this initiative is not a trick. We want to take these blades and other offensive weapons off our streets, and this scheme provides an effective way to do so.
“While the results of recent knife amnesties and surrender schemes have been encouraging, I’m conscious of the need to do more and am keen to capitalise on the positive momentum we currently have.
“The decision to carry a knife and use it to hurt someone can have devastating consequences for so many people, so anything we can do to take these weapons out of harm’s way is a good thing and something we fully support as a force.”
Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Gary Godden added:
“The work to take knives off our streets is something we take incredibly seriously, which is why we continue to drive the message that carrying a knife does not protect you – it simply puts you in more danger.
“As we know, one of the keys to tackling knife crime is integrating the voices of those with lived experience to help shape crime prevention strategies.
“With that in mind, our detached youth work teams are doing some incredible work on the streets of Nottingham to support this effort.
“That work has resulted in young people handing in knives, which shows that trust and confidence in communities throughout Nottingham are improving. Together, we will do our utmost to ensure everybody understands the consequences of carrying a knife.”
Nottinghamshire has seen a slight rise – less than two per cent – in knife crime offences when comparing July 2023 to June 2024 with the same 12-month period the year before.
This is according to the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures, which showed a four per cent rise in knife crime on average across the country during the same periods.
Amnesty Bin Locations
Throughout the week of action, knife amnesty bins will be situated at the following locations:
- Bulwell Police Station – Gilead Street, NG6 8NA
- St Ann’s Police Station – St Ann’s Well Road, NG3 3HR
- Broxtowe Police Station – Strelley Road, NG8 6LL
- Beeston Police Station – Foster Avenue, NG9 1AB
- Central Station – Maid Marian Way, Nottingham city centre, NG1 6HS
- Worksop Police Station – Potter Street, S80 2AH
- Kirkby Police Station – Urban Road, NG17 8DA
- Ollerton Police Station – Forest Road, NG22 9QZ
In addition to these, permanent amnesty bins remain available at:
- Newark Police Station – Queen’s Road, NG24 1LJ
- Mansfield Police Station – Great Central Road, NG18 2HQ
- Oxclose Lane Police Station – Bestwood, NG5 6FZ
- Radford Road Police Station – Hyson Green, NG7 5GX
Anyone planning to drop off a knife at one of the force’s amnesty bins is asked to package it safely before transporting it. Suggestions include placing the weapon in a box or wrapping it in bubble wrap.
