Knife crime: the work we’re doing to keep it out of Derbyshire

The work done by Derbyshire Constabulary together with local agencies and services to tackle knife crime is being showcased this week as part of a national week of action.

Op Sceptre is run by the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC), and is a chance for teams to speak to local communities, deepen their ongoing conversations about knife crime and remind people of the work we’re doing day-to-day to keep knife crime out of the county.

Over the course of the week, you'll see officers all over the county taking part in a range of operations and activity.  This includes visiting schools and delivering inputs to both late-primary and secondary students, as well as hosting pop-up stalls in colleges across the county.

There will also be knife sweeps conducted, where officers scan parks and recreational spaces for weapons, sometimes with the help of a metal detectors.

As well as this, our Safer Neighbourhood Teams will be around hosting a number of events in your local communities, where you can speak to them and find out more.

On our social media channels, you will see content which we’ve collaborated on with our partners at Chesterfield Football Club and Street Doctors – sharing their real life experiences and advice when it comes to the realities of knife crime and creating a sense of belonging for young people.

Amnesty bins, a key feature of Op Sceptre, will also be placed at locations across the county to allow people to hand in their unwanted knives. You can find the locations of these on our website: Knife bin locations | Derbyshire Constabulary

As well as this highly visible work, teams will also continue to gather intelligence and target offenders behind-the-scenes, as well as prevent incidents from happening.

Superintendent Lyndsey Curtis, from Derbyshire Constabulary, said: “Whilst thankfully it is only the minority of people that feel it is acceptable to carry a knife, this week is an important opportunity to highlight the year-round prevention work we are doing to keep it this way.

“We are all too aware of the tragic consequences of carrying a knife and the devastating ripple effect that this can have across our communities, and will not stop our work to combat this.

“A big part of this week is dispelling myths as well. For example, we know that those who carry a knife are more likely to be victims themselves, and rather than keeping them safe, carrying a knife actually puts them in greater danger.

“Involvement in knife crime often forms part of wider criminality too, so it is crucial that we put preventative measures in place as early as possible.

“We also work very closely with our partner agencies who can advise and encourage young people to think about their behaviours and signpost them to organisations who can educate them and offer a diversion from crime.

“Not only will officers be working in a visible way, but they will continue to work behind the scenes, too, gathering intelligence and targeting offenders, as well as preventing incidents from happening.”

If you have any information or would like to make a report relating to knife crime, call 101 or speak to our team through the Live Chat function on our website – Derbyshire.police.uk.

• In an emergency, call 999

You can also report anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, or through their partners at Fearless: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/

Our online reporting tool can be found at: https://www.derbyshire.police.uk/.../how-to-report-a-crime/