This week Lincolnshire Police unites with forces around the country as part of a national drive to tackle knife crime.

Operation Sceptre is a national week of action which starts today (16 September).

The aim of the week is to increase awareness about the dangers of carrying knives and how the police are working to keep them off the streets.

Nationally, incidents involving knives or sharp instruments have risen by 8%. The national average number of incidents per 100,000 population now stands at 80.

These incidents relate heavily to either assaults to cause injury or serious harm (46%) or robberies (42%). Possession offences are also up by 21%.

In Lincolnshire, the average number of incidents per 100,000 involving knives stands at 35 – a 15% increase. Locally, these incidents are also mainly either assaults to cause injury or serious harm (53%) or robberies (27%). These assaults usually happen in domestic properties and involve people who know each other.

The local increase in possession offences is from 183 to 263 incidents – a 44% increase. During this same period, our police officers carried out 62% more stop searches for knives or bladed articles – from 110 searches to 178. An extra 20 weapons were found in the additional searches.

All figures relate to comparisons between 2017/18 and 2018/19.

Detective Chief Inspector Amy Whiffen, force lead for knife crime, says:

“Lincolnshire is a really safe place to live and the vast majority of residents are highly unlikely to experience knife crime.

“That being said, we are attending more knife-related incidents and recovering more knives from our proactive stop-searches.

“People carry knives either for their own protection, to try and gain respect, out of pure anger or because they are intent on committing crime.

“Whatever the reason, carrying a knife means even the smallest situation can escalate into something much more serious or life-changing. Knife crime has devastating and lasting damage, not just to the victim and their families, but also to whole communities.

“Through the Stay Safe Partnership and the Future 4 Me initiative we are focusing on educating our county’s young people. We also have the Joint Diversionary Panel which can intervene when young people have become involved in knife crime.

“It is all of our responsibility to keep knives and blades out of the wrong hands. If you have any unwanted household kitchen knives, please take them to your local Household Waste Recycling Centre on your next trip so they can be disposed of safely.”

Police and Crime Commissioner, Marc Jones, says:

“It is true that the incidents of knife crime in Lincolnshire are lower than other parts of the country but the numbers are on the rise, both here and in the UK, and that is deeply concerning.

“A significant number of knife crimes end up with terrible consequences and we must do everything we can to educate people about the dangers of carrying knives.

“I will be challenging Government to recognise that rural areas are just as blighted by knife crime as urban areas and any extra funding should be made available to forces like Lincolnshire too.

“Many of the knife crimes that occur in our county are in relation to domestic incidents and I have launched projects to address this issue.
“I have every confidence that the force’s campaign will also make a positive impact in combatting knife crime.”

If you know someone is in possession of a knife or has made threats to use one, please call 101. You can also make a report anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit: crimestoppers-uk.org

Did you know?

• It is illegal to carry a knife or to try to buy a knife under the age of 18.
• The police can stop and search anyone they suspect of carrying a knife, the maximum penalty for which is 4 years in prison and an unlimited fine.
• An automatic prison sentence is handed to anyone convicted twice of carrying a knife.

Notes to editors