Case Studies

Knife campaign

by Mark Rowe

The Metropolitan Police in the latest week of Operation Sceptre to counter knife crime have made weapon sweeps, intelligence-led stop and search, and operations to tackle those wanted in connection with knife-related offences and violent crime.

The Met reports that the number of young people injured by knives was up by 22 per cent in June 2015 but has been steadily decreasing, with 37 fewer victims compared with the previous 12 months.

During previous Sceptre weeks of action, over 3,700 weapon sweeps have been conducted, over 800 weapons have been recovered, hundreds of shops have been visited with Trading Standards to test whether knives are being sold to those aged under 18, and over 1,500 people have been arrested, including 243 for possessing a knife or offensive weapon.

Since last summer, Trident and local police gang crime units have been proactively targeting gang and knife crime as daily business. In coordinated operations using Neighbourhood officers, the Territorial Support Group and specialist search officers made nearly 16,000 arrests, seized 771 firearms and 3,377 knives have been taken off the street.

Other officers from the Trident and Area Crime Command have been delivering educational presentations to young people in schools. The package aims to make young people think about the decisions they make, and the consequences of their actions with the aim of deterring them from joining gangs and getting into a life of crime. In the last 12 months, officers have delivered this to over 14,000 young people across London.

To view the location of knife bins across London visit the Met Police website: http://www.met.police.uk/StopKnifeCrime/i-need-help.htm.

Also available on that link is advice for those involved in knife crime or concerned for somebody else as well as the experiences of those affected by knife crime.

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