A meat cleaver stashed in Ramsgate’s Boundary Park was just one of the weapons recovered by Kent Police during national campaign Operation Sceptre.
The campaign is part of ongoing efforts to tackle knife crime and ran during November 14-20.
Over the week a total of 92 knives were recovered throughout the county. This included 61 knives which were put into 10 ‘surrender bins’.
More than 140 stop searches were completed and 36 people were arrested for various offences, including possession of knives and drugs. During these arrests officers seized 27 knives.
A total of 19 weapon sweeps were carried out across parks and open spaces which resulted in four knives being recovered, including the meat clever in Boundary Park in Ramsgate. The weapon had been hidden among trees and was slightly buried but was found after an officer used a metal detector to search the area.
Across the county officers stopped and spoke to various young people to ensure they felt safe and understood the dangers around knife crime. They also spoke to them about the risks of being involved in gang activity and the potential dangers it poses for them.
Businesses were also reminded about their responsibilities around the sales of knives and the ‘challenge 25’ policy.
Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Talboys of Kent Police said: “Our focus on tackling knife crime never stops but with initiatives like Operation Sceptre it allows our officers to highlight the good work they do on a daily basis and to carry out a number of specific operations over the course of the week to ensure we remove as many weapons from our streets as possible.
“Knife crime can have a devastating impact on families and communities and our officers are relentless in their efforts to target those criminals who bring violence to parts of Kent and think nothing of carrying weapons.”
If you have concerns about someone you know who may be carrying a knife, or is involved in knife crime, report it online at www.kent.police.uk/report. You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or by using the online form on their website.
