MERSEYSIDE Police have hit the road today (Tuesday, May 14) to spread the knife surrender message as part of an 'intense' week of action to tackle the issue.
As part of Operation Sceptre, a van urging the public to hand in the dangerous weapons was stationed for a time in Birkenhead shopping centre in a bid to deter offenders and provide reassurance to communities, with a particular focus in hotspot areas where crime is most likely to occur.
Police community support officers also handed out leaflets with the anti knife crime message.
Merseyside Police say the region has seen 'significant' reductions in both serious violence and knife crime, with 263 fewer victims of serious violence in the last year alone.
This week, the public can also hand in a knife, bladed article or other offensive weapon safely at police stations in Birkenhead and Wallasey.
For more details, click here: https://www.merseyside.police.uk/police-forces/merseyside-police/areas/campaigns/campaigns/2024/may/knife-surrender/
To mark the week, a major conference is taking place today where the region’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Emily Spurrell, and Chief Constable, Serena Kennedy, will join more than 120 partners to look at the role healthcare professionals can play in helping to prevent serious violence.
Many of the Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership (MVRP)’s initiatives will be running throughout the week, focused on preventing knife crime and educating young people.
This includes a StreetDoctors session at Wirral Youth Justice Services focused on teaching young people how to save lives using a new first aid e-learning app which explains how to stop a potentially life-threatening bleed.
The MVRP’s Mentors in Violence Prevention training which empowers young people to help prevent violence, bullying and other forms of abuse will be running at Pensby High School in Wirral on Friday.
Inspector Laura Leach, Merseyside's deputy lead for Serious Violence and Knife Crime said: "It's an intensified week of action looking at prevention, education and enforcement to tackle knife crime.
"Across Merseyside we are using different initiatives supporting the knife surrender at the moment.
"The Office For National Statistics shows that knife crime on Merseyside has fallen by 18.6 per cent. Whilst proud of that we are going to continue, keeping it as a priority, working with our partners to reduce knife crime."
"Since it started yesterday, we've received a large number of decorative swords to be put away in a safe place.
"It's important that the public engage with us on this. Everyone has a role to play to prevent knife crime.
"In November on Merseyside we had 170 weapons surrendered to us and are hoping to capitalise and build on that."
Anyone with any information or concerns about knife crime can report it to Merseyside Police or Crimestoppers anonymously. Call 101, direct message @MerPolCC on X (formerly known as Twitter) or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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