Watford knife amnesty results revealed

The results of a knife amnesty in Watford have been announced.

The town saw 44 knives surrendered during a week of action on knife crime across Hertfordshire which saw more than 700 blades given up in total.

This was part of Operation Sceptre, which concluded on Sunday, July 19.

The knife amnesty began on Monday, July 13 and was part of the week of action to reduce the number of illegal knives in circulation.

Due to an increase in knife-related incidents across the country over recent years, regular knife amnesties are being carried out, which provide a great opportunity to raise awareness and give advice about the risks of carrying a knife in public.

During the amnesty 720 knives were surrendered across the county, which included swords, hunting knives, scalpels and a variety of kitchen knives and cleavers.

The number of items surrendered in each area were:

Hatfield: 169
Stevenage: 28
Watford: 44
Waltham Cross: 21
Hertsmere: 450
Three Rivers: 8

Other activities carried out during the campaign included engagement events with young people in schools and public areas and visits to retailers to ensure they were adhering to laws regarding knife sales to those under 18.

Knife detection operations, including covert and high visibility patrols and knife sweeps, were also conducted at locations across the county.

Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire, David Lloyd, said: “Every blade that has been handed in means there is one less out on the streets with the potential to cause serious injury. Knife crime does remain very low in Hertfordshire, but it understandably spreads significant concern through the community.

“Due to residents’ concerns knife crime has been a priority for several years. The Chief Constable and I discuss it regularly, and my office has funded several substantial projects to reduce the number of young people carrying knives.”

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