A knife amnesty will be staged in Salford next week. As knife crime remains a national epidemic police in the city are taking action in a bid to remove weapons from the streets.
The Worsley, Walkden, and Little Hulton districts are being targeted. An event will be staged at the Ellesmere Centre in Walkden on Wednesday 15th January between 10am – 12noon.
Greater Manchester Police said in a statement: “If you have any unwanted knives or bladed articles please hand them to us, however please transport them safely either in a sealed container or wrapped up in cardboard sealed with strong tape.
“It’s a great way for the community to get behind our initiative to get dangerous weapon off the streets. We really encourage people to use this opportunity to dispose of knives safely plus it will be a great way for you to meet the local neighbourhood policing team.”
A major law change took effect in September in a bid to tackle the scourge of knife crime. ‘Zombie-style’ knives and machetes which meet certain criteria were banned.
It followed years of campaigning by the loved ones of those whose lives have tragically been cut short by stabbings across the country. Greater Manchester is no stranger to knife crime, with too many young lives ended by knives in recent years.
Last month Greater Manchester was rocked by four stabbings in four days – two of them fatal – after incidents in Clayton, Wythenshawe, and Leigh.
GMP in a statement issued after the fatal incidents in December, said: “Our work with partners to reduce such tragedies is so important, and we are seeing positive progress as a result.
“Working as part of the multiagency Violence Reduction Unit, we’re focused on education, engagement, and enforcement. In the last month alone, we facilitated 45 school engagement visits, conducted 90 knife sweeps of key locations, and recovered 282 knives directly from amnesty bins.
“Although a lot is being done to prevent violence by addressing underlying causes, there is more to be done. As our detectives vigorously investigate these recent cases, specialist officers are supporting families, and our neighbourhood teams will be patrolling around areas to reassure communities.”
In December 2023 the Manchester Evening News revealed that an average of 12 knife crime incidents a day had been reported across Greater Manchester since 2020. Between November 2020 and May 2023, the number totalled 10,864.
The highest number, which accounted for 13 percent of all incidents, were in the north Manchester district with 1,416. Salford had the second highest rate, where 10.2 percent of incidents – 1,113 – were recorded.
GMP says an operation to tackle knife crime is proving successful and a 10 year strategy to deal with violence will bolster attempts to reduce the number of incidents. The force said the data includes anything that could be classed as a sharp object that would pierce skin.
As of September 24, Operation Venture has seen 690 arrests; 190 weapon seizures; 217 weapon sweeps; 301 ‘disruption visits’; 323 partnership referrals; 1,418 ‘intelligence submissions’; 144 vehicle seizures; £250,000-plus cash seized; and 2,031 stop searches, 815 of which were ‘positive’.
Anyone with information to support GMP investigations can call 101 or 999 in an emergency. To report anonymously, call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via the website: www.Fearless.org