Proactive Policing to Tackle Knife Crime
Officers have been proactively engaging with residents in high-harm hotspots in Southend and across the county to encourage them to surrender any potentially illegal knives.
On the first morning of deployments in the city, more than 20 knives were voluntarily handed over to officers from our Op Grip team and Operational Support Group (OSG).
Essex Knife Crime Drops 7%
Op Grip hotspot patrolling zones are areas data analysis shows have a higher probability of a serious violent incident. Knife crime in Essex has fallen by 7% since the pandemic.
There are three Grip zones in Southend and 15 in the whole of Essex.
Zombie-style knives and machetes have been outlawed since 24 September under new legislation. The law covers the manufacture, supply, sale, possession, and importation of these weapons.
Police Urge Knife Surrender
A national surrender and compensation scheme was launched by the Home Office in August, but now that has ended, our officers are urging the owners of specific varieties of knives and machetes to hand them in or drop them in designated amnesty bins across Essex.
The Southend knife bin is outside the police station on Victoria Avenue.
Detective Inspector Karen Miller of Operation Grip said:
“We’re raising awareness of the legislation change and engaging with members of the public. So far, the reaction has been really positive.
If people have knives they want to get rid of, we can take them away and destroy them, or they can safely take them to their nearest amnesty bin. This prevents them from potentially ending up in the wrong hands.
Weapons like machetes and zombie-type knives have always been illegal to possess in public, but this change in the law will give us more powers to stop them being sold, kept, or used.
People may not be aware of the law change, but ignorance is not an excuse. Just because you can order something online does not mean it is legal for you to possess.”“We are constantly working to identify the trends of who is carrying a knife in Essex and why. We work extensively with partners in our Violence and Vulnerability Unit, which brings together partners from education, health, and the criminal justice system to intervene when we believe there are young people at risk of falling into criminality or being exploited.”
Keep up to date with the latest news from Essex Police on facebook.com/EPSouthend and @EPSouthend on Twitter.