Operation Sceptre offers an amnesty on harmful knives

Residents in Newtown are being urged to safely dispose of unwanted knives as Dyfed Powys Police joins forces with police services across the UK for a national week of action targeting knife crime.

The force is taking part in Sceptre, a biannual campaign running from May 18 to May 24 aimed at reducing knife related crime through enforcement, education and community engagement.

As part of the campaign, an amnesty bin will be available at Newtown Police Station, giving people a safe way to dispose of unwanted knives and blades without fear of prosecution. Similar bins will also be available at stations across Powys and the wider Dyfed Powys area.

This year the campaign is also running alongside Ben Kinsella Trust’s Knife Crime Awareness Week, which focuses on educating young people and supporting parents through workshops and awareness initiatives.

Inspector Darren Crockford said: “It is completely understandable that it is of great concern to our communities when they hear about people being injured or killed by knives, but carrying a knife does not make anyone safer – a knife usually makes a situation much worse.”

He added: “In addition to our amnesty bins, our dedicated Neighbourhood Policing and Prevention Teams will also be carrying out engagement and prevention activities during the week.

“However, policing cannot tackle this problem alone, so we will be engaging with our partners to signpost to intervention and diversion work to reduce the threat and risks of knife crime.”

Dyfed Powys Police said officers would continue carrying out enforcement work alongside preventative activity, including identifying people who may be carrying knives and providing support where needed.

Inspector Crockford added: “Reinforcing the dangers of carrying knives is a vital step in ultimately trying to prevent the devastating consequences that knife crime can have, not just for victims and their families but the entire community.”

Residents with concerns about knife crime are encouraged to report them to police on 101, or call 999 if there is an emergency or crime in progress.

Anonymous reports can also be made through  Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

People can report areas where they feel unsafe through  StreetSafe, while support and resources for young people and parents are available from the  Ben Kinsella Trust.

Unused knives and blades can also be safely disposed of through local authority recycling centres. Powys residents can find details through  Powys County Council recycling information.