Knives recovered in Ashfield with officers carrying out extra patrols as part of anti-knife crime campaign

Officers have increased the number of searches and community visits in the town this week in an attempt to crack down on knife crime as part of Operation Sceptre – a county-wide initiative to take knives off the street and reduce violent offending.

Police searched Sutton Lawn and Titchfield Park to check for hidden weapons and carried out patrols targeting people they suspected to be carrying knives on Tuesday, November 10.

Two knives were recovered from local residents after officers visited their homes.

Items such as decorative swords are not illegal as display items, but officers aim to make clear what will happen if such items are taken outside.

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 added: “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 didn’t 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."

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