The number of blades deposited into knife amnesty bins across the county has reached more than 20,000 since the Bin a Blade scheme was introduced in Suffolk in 2010.

 

Inspired by local anti-knife crime campaigner Holly Watson, the amnesty was launched in December 2010 by Holly, BBC Radio Suffolk’s Mark Murphy and Suffolk’s then Chief Constable, Simon Ash. The Bin a Blade scheme encourages the public to anonymously and safely dispose of unwanted knifes and blades. To date 20,115 bladed items have been deposited in the bins across Suffolk.

 

Chief Constable Gareth Wilson said: “This is a significant milestone for the Bin a Blade campaign and I would like to thank all those people who have chosen to dispose of unwanted knives – and in some cases offensive weapons – in amnesty bins over the past seven years.

 

“Every one of the 20,000 blades that have been deposited help to make the county a safer place. Whilst there is not a significant problem with knife crime in Suffolk, our amnesty is continuing to make people think about the consequences of carrying a knife and offering a way to dispose of them without prejudice.”

Suffolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner Tim Passmore said: “I fully support the Bin a Blade campaign and to see that over 20,000 blades have been collected since the initiative was launched is excellent.

“We need to do all we can through education, peer pressure, policing and sentencing to make it absolutely clear that it’s never acceptable for a person to carry a knife or weapon. I find it really disappointing that anyone carries a blade of any kind.

“The Bin a Blade campaign and the use of these bins is a great way of highlighting the issue of knife crime, along with the national Operation Sceptre initiative. I would encourage anyone who has a knife or any other weapon to dispose of them responsibly and immediately. Ultimately it is about making Suffolk as safe as possible.”

 

Knife amnesty bins can be found outside Ipswich Fire Station and at police stations in Lowestoft, Bury St Edmunds, Mildenhall, Sudbury and Haverhill.

 

More information and advice about knife crime can be found on the Suffolk Police website: www.suffolk.police.uk/advice/personal-safety/knife-crime