Operation Sceptre

Sussex Police together with other forces are supporting Operation Sceptre – a national knife crime campaign which aims to reduce the number of people, especially young people, carrying a weapon.

Officers will be undertaking proactive activities across the county and encouraging knife owners to give up their blades anonymously as part of a national initiative to tackle knife crime.

Assistant Chief Constable Nick May said: “We are pleased to give our support to this national initiative once again. Members of the public will be able to hand over knives safely and anonymously at any Sussex Police front office, a list of our police stations can be found here, and in turn remove these weapons from our streets.

“Our message to those who carry a knife or thinking of carrying a knife is that it does not protect you and in fact it makes you more vulnerable and places you in danger of serious harm.

“We want to reassure the public that we do not have an escalating knife problem here in Sussex however it is essential we keep on top of this issue and that’s what makes our participation in Operation Sceptre so important. One knife is one knife too many.”

To enable knife owners to give up their weapons safely and without fear of prosecution, knife bins are located at police stations across Sussex from 17-24 September.

In addition to the amnesty bins, officers will be attending local schools, making test purchases and performing proactive patrols across the county.

Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner (SPCC) Katy Bourne gave her backing today to Operation Sceptre, as Sussex joins forces across the country urging young people in particular to hand in knives they may be carrying or thinking of carrying on the streets.

Katy Bourne said: "There are only a handful of recognised and legitimate reasons for carrying knives in public and 'protecting yourself' from somebody else who may be carrying a knife is not one of them.

“If you are caught carrying a knife it could well mean the end of your career ambitions and a long prison sentence, and if knives are drawn in anger or even just bravado it can mean life changing wounds or worse.

“Operation Sceptre is giving people the chance to surrender unnecessary and illegally held knives, so make the right choice today: lose the knife not a life.“

Anyone with information on knife crime should call 101 or report online. In an emergency always dial 999.