Call to hand in knives during Sceptre amnesty

Nottinghamshire Police are urging people across the city and county to help make their streets safer by handing in knives and other weapons during a national week of action.

Amnesty bins are in place across the county as part of the force’s activity for Sceptre, which started on Monday (17 November).

During the previous Sceptre, in May, a total of 222 knives were handed in across the county.

Machetes, samurai swords, flick knives and kitchen blades were all safely disposed of in amnesty bins.

Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Gary Godden said:

“I urge everyone in Nottinghamshire to take a moment to consider the impact of weapons in our communities.

“If you have a knife or any weapon that you know shouldn't be on our streets, please hand it in safely.

“This is a chance to make a real difference, as with every weapon surrendered, we take a step closer to making our streets safer for all.

“There's no shame in doing the right thing - this is about protecting each other and building stronger, safer communities.”

Chief Inspector Kylie Davies wants to see the momentum continue this Sceptre, with the force’s knife crime lead urging people to hand over any unwanted or illegal weapons.

She said: “Every weapon taken off the streets is a positive development and makes our communities safer.

“It was pleasing to see so many people make use of our amnesty bin offering during the last Sceptre and we want to continue this momentum.”

Chief Inspector Davies urged people to take advantage of the amnesty and hand over weapons without fear of prosecution.

“If the main reason for people feeling hesitant is because they’re worried about getting into trouble, I can assure them that this will not be the case,” she said.

“This initiative is not a trick. We want to take these blades and other offensive weapons off our streets and this amnesty makes that easier and more efficient.

“Knife crime has devastating consequences, so anything we can do to take these weapons out of harm’s way is a good thing and something we support as a force.”

Throughout the week of action, knife amnesty bins will be situated inside stations, shared services and other locations in:

• 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 wanting to drop a knife off at one of the force's amnesty bins is asked to package it up safely before transporting it, with suggestions including putting the weapon in a box, or wrapping it in bubble wrap.

For more information about Sceptre, visit: Sceptre | Nottinghamshire Police