Hundreds of knives, bladed weapons and knuckle dusters will be destroyed by police following another successful year of Operation Sceptre.
As part of the week-long national operation to combat knife crime, police have carried out weapons sweeps, emptied knife amnesty bins and held talks in local schools between March 11 and 18.
The amnesty bin in Bury St Edmunds saw the highest number of weapons deposited, with 865 items being deposited since September 2018.
The bin had already been emptied the same month, with an original 755 weapons recovered in an earlier emptying and a further 110 during the operation week.
The second largest haul came from Ipswich Fire Station, where 500 items were recovered, followed by Queen’s way in the town with 170. A further 151 weapons were found in Lowestoft, as well as 126 in Mildenhall and 26 in Haverhill. None were found in Ipswich’s Bramford Road or Sudbury.
As part of the operation, Suffolk’s ninth bin was installed in Stowmarket on March 11, which has since seen 36 items deposited.
Superintendent Kerry Cutler said the operation helps forces nationwide remind people of the dangers and potential consequences of knife crime.
She added: “Knife crime has devastating effects on victims, families and communities. We must break this cycle of violence and address the perception of young people who say they need to carry a knife to protect themselves. Let me be clear – knives have no place on our streets.
“You may think carrying a knife will ensure your safety and give you protection, but in reality if you carry a knife there is a greater risk it will be used, either by you or on you.
Suffolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner Tim Passmore added: “Operation Sceptre gives the constabulary an opportunity to raise awareness of knife crime and also give people an opportunity to deposit blades safely – I fully support this work.
“We need to do all we can through education, peer pressure, policing and sentencing to make it absolutely clear that it is never acceptable for a person to carry a knife or weapon.”
A knife, three screwdrivers and scissors were also recovered in weapons sweeps in central Ipswich.
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