Suffolk Bin a Blade campaign reaches over 12,000 knives

Suffolk police have reported that the number of knives handed in during the ‘Bin a Blade’ campaign has reached over 12,000.

Launched in January 2011, the initial year-long amnesty resulted in over 6,000 knives left anonymously in six amnesty bins across Suffolk. The project continued through 2012 and 2013, and with 1,202 knives having been deposited this year, the total now stands at 12,138.

Permanent bins are located outside Lowestoft, Mildenhall and Bury St Edmunds police stations, with a temporary deposit outside Sudbury police station, and officers are encouraging people who wish to dispose of knives to use the bins.

Plans for a permanent Ipswich bin are in progress after the station moved to museum street, with a location in the town centre expected to be found.

Douglas Paxton, chief constable for Suffolk police, said: “As the Christmas period approaches, we are making an appeal for people to make Suffolk even safer during the festive period and make New Year knife free. This time of year should be when families and friends start to come together to celebrate over festivities and not get into fights, verbal altercations and stabbings.

“It’s simple; don’t carry a knife as you not only endanger lives but it could result in a death, making Christmas truly devastating for one more family this year.”

Tim Passmore, police and crime commissioner for Suffolk, added: “We need to do all we can through education, peer pressure, policing and sentencing to make it absolutely clear that it’s never acceptable for a person to carry a knife or weapon.

“I fully support the use of these bins and would encourage anyone who has a knife or any other weapon to dispose of them responsibly and immediately.”