South Yorkshire Police make 83 arrests in crackdown on knife crime

The dedicated week of action, known as Operation Sceptre, was launched on Monday, November 15 and saw police forces across the country tackling knife crime.

Raids were carried out, stop and search operations were mounted and areas of open land were searched for weapons which may have been discarded or hidden for future use.

Officers also carried out a number of school visits to talk to children about the dangers of carrying knives.

Superintendent Ian Proffitt, who led the week of action, said: “Operation Sceptre is a nationwide week of action which aims to disrupt criminal activity and knife crime, but also raises awareness of the issues and the police activity to tackle it.

“By working together across the week our officers and staff have arrested 83 people, of which 27 were directly linked to knife crimes. We have conducted 22 weapon sweeps, and seized nearly 40 knives.

“We carried out 41 test purchase operations, where we test whether retailers sell knives to under 18 year-olds. I am pleased to say the majority of them passed, of those that failed, they have received warnings or the premises have put in measures to make sure this doesn’t happen again. We will be testing them again in the future.”

Supt Proffitt added: “As well as police action to disrupt criminal activity, it is really important to get the facts out about knife crime and educate young people on the dangers. Throughout the week, our officers carried out 19 school presentations engaging with over 3,000 young people, and held 38 community meetings. This is really important as it enables us to talk to our communities, understand their issues, and let them know what we are doing to tackle them.

“We know only too well the devastating affects knife crime can have, not just on victims and their families, but on the suspect’s family and the wider community.”

During the week-long initiative, South Yorkshire Police shared a video with a consultant from the A&E at Sheffield’s Northern General hospital, who explained the trauma seen when knife crime victims are brought into hospital.The force also shared a audio of a mother and how she felt when she learnt that her son has been stabbed.

In another video, a Senior Investigator Officer explained the horrific scenes faced by officers when they attend incidents involving knives.

Superintendent Proffitt added: “I hope these videos shared a glimpse of the devastation knife crime can cause, and I want to reassure you that although the week of action is over for Op Sceptre, our work to tackle knife crime is far from over and we will continue every day to make the streets of South Yorkshire safer for everybody.”

If you want to find out more about knife crime, learn the facts and get tips on how to speak to young people about it, visit knivestakelives.co.uk

To report those who carry knives, call South Yorkshire Police on 101.