Local police are urging the community support a knife amnesty next week.
The campaign, known as Operation Sceptre, runs from September 16 to 22 and aims to keep knives and blades out of circulation, while also increasing awareness about the dangers of carrying knives.
During the week, people are being encouraged to leave unwanted knives in amnesty bins. The nearest for us is located at Newtown Police Station.
The force also wants people to know how to safely dispose of knives and blades outside of the amnesty period, and urges anyone involved in a household clearance, or those who would consider leaving knives at a charity shop, to instead bring them to a recycling centre for safe disposal.
Inspector for specialist operations, Tim Davies, said: “Dyfed-Powys remains a safe place to live, work and visit, and thankfully we don’t face the level of knife crime other areas see. For this campaign we are changing our approach to focus on keeping knives that could travel to other areas, out of criminal hands.
“It can be difficult to know the right thing to do with an old knife when you buy a new set, or inherit them from a relative. We want anyone involved in household clearances, people with elderly relatives, and charity shops, to know they can take unwanted or donated knives to the tip.”
The force is also encouraging a common sense approach to selling knives and blades, after credit card blades were handed in to them during the last amnesty, in March 2019.
Our force has a lower rate of knife crime than the national average. In the year ending March 2018, there were 31 crimes involving knives per 100,000 of the population in Dyfed-Powys. Across Wales, this figure stands at 37, and nationally there were 69 knife crimes per 100,000 people during the same period.”
For more information about Operation Sceptre and the laws around carrying knives, visit www.dyfed-powys.police.uk.
Station |
Opening Times |
Newtown Police Station |
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm Saturday and Sunday, 9am to 5pm |