Community Safety Team supports knife crime operation
Thursday, 21 November 2024
Last week (commencing 11 November), we carried out a range of activity in support of Sceptre, a national initiative designed to highlight the dangers and consequences of carrying knives.
Our Community Safety Team worked alongside Bedfordshire Police to carry out weapons sweeps in Leighton Buzzard, Biggleswade, Houghton Regis, Dunstable, Flitwick, Shefford, and Sandy, searching public areas to look for discarded or hidden weapons. The team found a number of items including drug paraphernalia, batons, and a hammer, which have all now been disposed of.
Members of the team visited several areas to speak to residents about knife crime, and visited a local college to talk to students about the risks and consequences of carrying knives.
The team also visited independent retailers, encouraging them to sign the ‘Central Bedfordshire Responsible Retailer Agreement’ on the safe storage and sale of knives. This agreement, a collaboration between us and Bedfordshire Police, aims to prevent knives from falling into the wrong hands. Larger chain stores and supermarkets are governed by separate national regulations under a primary authority system.
Councillor Steve Owen, our Executive Member for Community Safety, said:
Last week’s Operation Sceptre highlighted how vital it is to work with our partners to tackle knife crime and keep our communities safe. By teaming up with Bedfordshire Police, local businesses, and organisations like Bedfordshire’s Violence and Exploitation Reduction Unit (VERU), we’ve been able to take practical steps to remove weapons, educate young people, and raise awareness of the risks of carrying knives.