The first week of the national knife amnesty that runs to the end of the month saw thousands of weapons handed into police stations.
Police report they collected 17,715 weapons in the first week of the national knife amnesty. Besides knives, police across England and Wales collected machetes, meat cleavers and axes. One unidentified person handed in an anti-tank rocket launcher to officers on the Devon & Cornwall force.
Tony Melville, ACPO lead on the knife amnesty and assistant Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall Police called the programme, ‘a significant step in making our streets safer.’
Continuing
The national knives amnesty began on 24 May 2006 and will continue until 30 June. Every police force in England and Wales is taking part. Scotland is also running its own amnesty over the same weeks.
Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker credited the police with their efforts collecting the weapons. He said: "The National Knife Amnesty is just one – albeit an important one – of the many tactics being used by the Government and the police to tackle the problem of knife crime in England and Wales."
He appealed to those who have not yet handed over their weapons to do so before it’s too late. "For those who have not yet handed in their weapons, it’s not too late. If you carry a knife out of self-defence, you run the risk of having it turned on you. Carrying a knife is illegal and will not be tolerated – indeed, it could land you four years in prison. Why risk it? Use the amnesty as an opportunity to hand over your weapon – without fear of prosecution – or you could end up on the sharp end yourself."
The law
It is an offence to carry a knife in public without good reason or lawful authority. The only exception is a folding pocket-knife with a blade less than three inches long.
