Hundreds of knives have been recovered across Lancashire Police’s West Division during a week of action.
Last week saw the return of the national week-long initiative to tackle knife crime, Operation Sceptre.
Officers from West Division, which covers Lancaster, Morecambe, as well as the areas of Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre, carried out a range of both operational and proactive engagement work throughout the week.
Activity included:
Five weapon sweeps, some involving the help of local college students.
Emptying of the divisions seven knife bins, in which 280 knives were recovered.
Proactive stop searches, including the use of a knife arch at Blackpool North Train Station.
13 community meetings and education events.
16 school presentations.
20 retailer visits, in which three stores failed a test purchase. They were issued with a warning and will be revisited in the future to ensure they are complying with legislation.
Sergeant Dan Whitaker, from Lancashire’s Violence Reduction Network, said: “Our second Operation Sceptre of the year has been a success, as is always the case for us in West Division!
“Public engagement is key for this operation, as knife crime is an important topic for our communities. We’re pleased to see the public working with us to dispose of knives safely, and spread awareness of the laws surrounding them.
“Operation Sceptre holds an important message, and we will continue the work to make West Division a safe place to be. I’d encourage people to make themselves familiar with their local knife bins, and to report any information regarding knife crime to us.”
You can find your local knife bins at:
Lancaster
Under Carlisle Bridge, Morecambe Road, Lancaster, LA1 2RX
Morecambe
Near youth centre, Central Drive, Morecambe, LA4 4DE
You can report by calling 101, reporting online or calling Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Call 999 in emergencies.
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