Nottinghamshire Police promise 'relentless' campaign on knife crime as Operation Sceptre launches

Police chiefs in Nottinghamshire are promising a ‘relentless’ campaign against knife crime will continue as a national operation launches next week.
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Operation Sceptre, which gets underway on Monday, May 16, will spotlight the ‘continuous, year-round work’ being done to prevent knife crime in the county and to protect communities from the harm it causes.

The week will include educational events at schools and colleges, and proactive public engagement, including the use of metal-detecting walk-through knife arches.

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Officers say a spotlight will also be shone on proactive work going on to keep people safe and remove dangerous weapons from circulation including community weapons sweeps, patrols in knife crime hot-spot areas and proactive operations.

Nottinghamshire Police chiefs are promising a ‘relentless’ campaign against knife crime will continue as a national operation launches next week.Nottinghamshire Police chiefs are promising a ‘relentless’ campaign against knife crime will continue as a national operation launches next week.
Nottinghamshire Police chiefs are promising a ‘relentless’ campaign against knife crime will continue as a national operation launches next week.

Superintendent Kathryn Craner, Nottinghamshire Police’s knife crime lead, said: “I’m pleased at how successful our partnership approach has proved to be, however I want to reassure people that we remain totally committed to driving down knife crime.

“We know how devastating just one knife crime incident can be for everyone involved, as well as the wider community.

“That’s why we treat it so seriously and continue to do everything in our power to keep people safe as well as taking robust action against those who choose to carry knives and use them to harm others.”

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Statistics show knife crime in Nottinghamshire fell by eight per cent in the year end to December 2021 and also by 10 per cent during the previous year, exceeding the national and regional reductions of nine per cent and six per cent respectively for 2020.

Official figures also show that knife crime dropped in Nottinghamshire before the Covid-19 pandemic, with a reduction of eight per cent in the year end to December 2019.

In support of the operation, Nottinghamshire residents will also be able to play their part to help stop knives falling into the wrong hands by putting unwanted knives in amnesty bins sited in police stations and shared locations across the county.

The county police station/shared service bin locations are: Kirkby, Mansfield, Newark, Ollerton, Retford and Worksop.

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Natalie Baker-Swift, head of the Violence Reduction Unit, said: “Operation Sceptre presents us with another opportunity to build awareness in our communities of the perils of carrying weapons and focus the public’s attention on the work being undertaken all year round to make our streets and the public safe."