Over 400 items handed in during Dorset knife amnesty

Dorset Police supported the amnesty as part of the ongoing Home Office national knife crime reduction initiative, Operation Sceptre.

“We are please with the results during this knife amnesty,” said superintent Jaren Parkin, Dorset police knife crime lead.

“As we have previously warned, it is often those that carry knives who end up injured by them if a confrontation takes place. This is exactly the sort of reason why the knife amnesty was held in Dorset, as part of our ongoing local approach to focusing on prevention. Any knife taken out of ciculaton and off the street helps to prevent injuries and deaths.”

A large variety of items were handed in including hunting knives, samurai-style swords, rapiers and swordsticks, along with an assortment of kitchen knives and cleavers. All of which will be destroyed.

Supt Parkin conculded, “No good can come from carrying a knife. For your own saftey and that of others, please get rid of it.”

Martyn Underhil, Dorset police and crime commissioner said, “I am pleased that so many knives and bladed items have been handed in during the amnesty period.

“Knife crime destroys lives. There is no circumstance where carrying a knife as a weapon or as some kind of protection is acceptable. Carrying a knife only makes you more vulnerable and places those around you at greater risk.”

If anyone has any queries over bladed items or firearms and how to dispose of them, or is concerned about transporting them, please drop into one of the police enquiry offices, the locations and opening times of which can be found at www.dorset.police.uk/contact-us/visit-us

Outside amnesty periods, people with unwanted knives such as domestic kitchen blades can dispose of them in household waste as long as they are packaged securely so as to avoid handling injury. Alternatively they can be deposited along with other bladed items in the metal recycling skip at local reclamation facilities.