Knife amnesty bins by police stations in Mid Wales
Dyfed-Powys Police is putting amnesty bins outside stations during a national week of action to tackle knife crime.
The campaign, known as Operation Sceptre, runs from September 16 to 22 and aims to keep knives and blades out of circulation, while also increasing awareness about the dangers of carrying knives.
During the week, people are being encouraged to leave unwanted knives in amnesty bins at Dyfed-Powys Police stations including Newtown, Brecon and Llandrindod Wells.
The force also wants people to know how to safely dispose of knives and blades outside of the amnesty period, and urges anyone involved in a household clearance, or those who would consider leaving knives at a charity shop, to instead bring them to a recycling centre for safe disposal.
Inspector for specialist operations, Tim Davies, said: “Dyfed-Powys remains a safe place to live, work and visit, and thankfully we don’t face the level of knife crime other areas see.
Criminal
“For this campaign we are changing our approach to focus on keeping knives that could travel to other areas, out of criminal hands.
“It can be difficult to know the right thing to do with an old knife when you buy a new set, or inherit them from a relative. We want anyone involved in household clearances, people with elderly relatives, and charity shops, to know they can take unwanted or donated knives to the tip.”
The force is also encouraging a common sense approach to selling knives and blades, after credit card blades were handed in to them during the last amnesty, in March.
When officers visited a store in Haverfordwest, they were presented with a box containing 42 black plastic items around the size of a credit card.
On opening the card, a hidden blade was revealed which could lock in place. Knives with a lockable blade are illegal to carry.
Insp Tim Davies added: “Many types of blades are legal to sell, but have a questionable purpose. We will be working with retailers to discuss the law, and what is sensible.
"We will also be working with schools, colleges and youth clubs to reinforce the message about the dangers of carrying knives among young people.”
