Crossbow, three swords and 10 knives seized by South Yorkshire Police in bid to make streets safer

Operation Sceptre ran from November 14 – 20 to reduce the number of knives on the streets and to save lives.During the week of action, 50 public areas were searched for weapons, homes were raided and schools were visited.

A total of 152 people were searched on the streets, 10 of whom were arrested. A further 50 people were arrested during raids.As part of the operation, 241 cannabis plants were recovered.

Detective Superintendent David Cowley, who led Operation Sceptre for South Yorkshire Police, said: “This week has been a fantastic success and I am really pleased with the results. The focus this year was on education, and we had officers engaging with the community, going into schools to speak to young people around the dangers of carrying knives and the consequences that this can have.

“Those who feel the need to carry knives in our communities are not only putting themselves at risk, but also other people, we are determined to get this message across. The operational work carried out throughout this week goes a long way to keeping this in focus and in keeping our streets and open spaces safer.“I’d like to thank all the officers, staff and partners who have been involved this week, supporting this important campaign.”

Assistant Chief Constable Rick Alton said: “Tackling knife crime is a key focus for us and the force continues to prioritise reducing the number of instances throughout the year. We don’t only prioritise knife crime during these weeks of action, it’s a priority all year round.

“It was encouraging to see that a number of weapons were seized and 60 people were arrested throughout the week, and they will be dealt with appropriately.

“During this week we also saw the conviction of a man who stabbed a victim in an unprovoked attack in August. The victim of this offence received injuries resulting in hospital treatment, and although the victim survived, it has left a lasting impact upon them and their family.

“We will continue to our great local partnerships and the courts to bring perpetrators to justice, so that you, the public can feel safe going about your daily lives.”