Police in Mansfield use metal detector to hunt out hidden knives and weapons
Officers were stationed in areas of Mansfield with a metal detector this week as part of an anti-knife campaign to hunt out weapons on the streets.
Police were stationed outside Mansfield Bus Station on Tuesday, November 10 and in Warsop High Street on Wednesday, November 11 with a knife arch – designed to detect people armed with weapons.
Officers also conducted searches for hidden weapons in various parks, as it is known that offenders often hide weapons in easily accessible locations so they don’t get caught carrying them.
Sergeant Jay Lee, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Knife crime has a devastating impact on the lives of victims, their families, and even the people who carry these offences out.
“Knife arches are not only a very effective way at finding people carrying knives (often because they take one look at the arch and change direction), they are also an effective deterrent because they make people think twice about coming out with a deadly weapon.
“Whilst we didn’t uncover any knives during these sweeps, we were able to make contact with many local people and send a very clear message – that if you do come out armed with a knife there is a very good chance you’ll get caught.”
Chief Inspector Steven O’Neill said: “Tackling violent and weapon enabled crime is a year-round priority for us but we have deployed some additional resources to this issue this week to provide visible reassurance to members of the public and a reminder to potential offenders that we take this issue extremely seriously.”
