Operation Sceptre sees 180 knives taken off the streets of Greater Manchester

The latest knife crime prevention campaign from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has seen 180 knives recovered and 28 people arrested for knife-related offences.

The Operation Sceptre national week of action – which ran from Monday 15 to Sunday 21 May 2023 – saw the force intensify its focus on reducing knife crime and serious violence through education, engagement, prevention, and enforcement.

Over the course of the week, officers deployed knife arches and conducted warrants, high-visibility patrols, 202 weapon sweeps and 44 visits to those suspected of carrying knives. Forever Amnesty bins, where people can surrender a knife or weapon, saw 122 knives recovered from them.

Working alongside partners, colleges and schools, officers delivered a number of community engagement events, with 55 community meetings drawing in more than 400 participants and 85 school engagement events with approximately 1,800 participants.

Officers conducted 204 stop searches, with 26 arrests, of which eight were knife related, with 12 knives recovered.

With the support of Trading Standards, officers also made 163 visits to local retailers, with two positive results for selling knives to underage children. More than 230 leaflet drops also took place.

Additionally, as part of Operation Sceptre, British Transport Police (BTP) officers conducted 20 operations across the Pennine region, including Manchester Victoria, and made 14 arrests over Thursday 18 and Friday 19 May.

A range of tactics including knife arches, police dogs and plain clothes patrols were deployed as part of the crackdown.

Weapons seized included two knives, two imitation firearms, knuckle dusters, a baseball bat and a hammer.

 

 

Sergeant Lisa Quinn, from GMP’s Serious Violent Crime Programme, said: “Our work across Greater Manchester has resulted in another successful set of Op Sceptre results. We are proactively tackling knife crime by getting out in our communities and raising awareness of the dangers of carrying a knife.

“A range of tactics were implemented throughout the week, including high visibility walkarounds, knife arches and conducting search warrants that provided the public with clear, visible policing in tackling such a serious issue that is a blot on the Greater Manchester area.

“We remain committed to tackling knife crime and we will continue our work with partners from the Greater Manchester Violence Reduction Unit around educating youngsters to prevent them from picking up a knife in the first place, making it clear that carrying a knife is illegal and does not make you safer because it can be used against you."

“We all have a part to play in tackling knife crime in our communities. I encourage members of the public to continue to provide us with any information or intelligence that you may have, as this supports the work that GMP and our partners undertake in our fight against knife crime and allows us to take the necessary action to minimise the devastating impact it can have on our communities. Remember, speaking out could save a life.”

British Transport Police Inspector Pete Wilcock said: “We hope this sends a message of reassurance to rail users that these weapons are now off the network but also a strong message to criminals that their days are numbered.

"These patrols are not limited to one week – every day of the year we patrol the rail network and police dogs and knife arches can pop up anywhere at anytime – we are just as unpredictable as the criminal."
 

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To report an incident to GMP, please call the police on 101 or talk via LiveChat at www.gmp.police.uk. Always dial 999 in an emergency. Reports and concerns can also be made anonymously through CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111 or via www.fearless.org.

If you carry a knife or weapon, GMP urges you to surrender it at one of the 13 Forever Amnesty bins located across Greater Manchester. You can find the location of your nearest bin here.