Knives can be surrendered anonymously in Hertfordshire this coming week as part of an amnesty.

Hertfordshire Constabulary will conduct a week of action to combat knife crime, between Monday, May 13 and Sunday, May 19, as part of Sceptre, a national knife crime initiative.

While knife-related crime remains lower in Herts than in other parts of the country, according to the police force, the campaign aims to reinforce the message that carrying a knife is illegal.

During the week of action police will be conducting activities aimed at reducing knife crime, including knife detection sweeps, and talking to retailers about making sure knife sales are age checked, as well as educating young people about the dangers of carrying a knife.

Imminent changes to the laws on legal knife ownership mean that certain items that were previously legal to own are now prohibited. 

From September 2024, it will be illegal to possess — even in a private address — ‘zombie’ knives and machetes. 

Welwyn Hatfield Times: Hertfordshire Constabulary is supporting a national knife crime campaign.Hertfordshire Constabulary is supporting a national knife crime campaign. (Image: Will Dutrant / LDRS)

Lives Not Knives

During the week-long campaign in Herts, anyone with such weapons or any other knives that they do not want or should not have, can be surrendered at one of the following police stations: 

  • Hatfield
  • Stevenage
  • Watford

There will also be temporary knife bins in locations around the county, and there are permanent surrender bins in Waltham Cross, details of which can be found at www.herts.police.uk/amnesty.

Items can be surrendered anonymously during the amnesty in the knife bins provided. The locations and opening times of these stations can be found at www.herts.police.uk/stations.

Sergeant Karen Mellor, who is leading on the operational activity for Sceptre, said: “These initiatives offer an opportunity to reduce the number of knives in circulation and anyone in possession of weapons prohibited under the new laws will be able to surrender them anonymously. 

“Regular weeks of action are part of our continuing strategy to tackle violent crime.

"During the week we will be conducting operations across the county, to reduce knife-related crime and to raise awareness that it is illegal to carry a knife in public without a valid reason and may lead to arrest."

Sergeant Mellor added: “It is also a chance to talk with young people in person and online about the dangers of carrying a knife, and also raise awareness amongst local businesses that selling certain knives to anyone under 18 is illegal.”

You can follow Hertfordshire Constabulary's week of action online at @HertsPolice on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.