Southampton City Council is supporting a national campaign to tackle knife crime that starts today. Operation Sceptre, which lasts until Sunday 25 May, is coordinated by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and aims to raise awareness of knife crime by increasing police efforts to detect, reduce and prevent it.
Throughout the week, Hampshire Constabulary will be co-ordinating additional policing activity and working closely with partners including the Violence Reduction Unit, local authorities, public health, youth workers and charities to protect communities and young people from the threat of knife crime.
It is also a chance to encourage more people to surrender any knives they have, which could be used as a weapon, in a surrender bin. Almost 900 knives, two fake guns and six ninja stars have been deposited in surrenders bins, which are located across Southampton, since they were installed in 2024. The contents have now been safely disposed of by officers.
The bins are permanent fixtures located at:
- Shirley: Redcar Street, next to the library by Shirley precinct car park.
- Thornhill: Warburton Road.
- City: Sussex Road next to Palmerston Park.
Operation Sceptre is also the opportunity to celebrate those young people who have made positive changes to their lives with the support of Southampton City Council’s Youth Justice Service. The team has helped individuals to develop their skills and experience so they can secure work in industries such as catering, hospitality and construction. One of these initiatives is managing ‘Opportunity Brews’ a café based in the Young People’s Hub in the Civic Centre.
Young people have also been supported to complete the award-winning CSCS construction skills course. All those who recently finished the third CSCS course are now qualified to apply for jobs with national and local contractors who recognise and actively seek the accreditation in their recruitment process.
Tim Nelson, Head of the Young People’s Service said; “Giving young people who are in the criminal justice system the chance to make positive changes in their lives is critical if we are going to make a difference to our communities. Gaining education in an informal setting and empowering them to learn new skills for employment gives young people real lifelong opportunities. Our aim is that every young person has the opportunity to live safely with a chance to learn and achieve.”
In the work to reduce and prevent knife crime in the city, Southampton City Council is working with the community to give people the opportunity to share their own personal experiences. One mum whose family has experienced the impact of knife crime first hand said: “When it comes to knife crime, people lose their lives…not only the victim but the perpetrator also loses their life! Both families become destroyed. As a mother who lives in a multicultural community, I think it’s important to all look out for each other.”
Councillor Christie Lambert, Cabinet Member for Communities & Safer City at Southampton City Council, said: “We are committed to making Southampton a safer place for everyone and working with partners is a key part of our work to tackle knife crime as policing cannot do this alone. I’m pleased that nearly 900 knives have been deposited in the knife surrender bins across the city so these can be safely disposed of. We will continue to work together to reduce the accessibility of these weapons, so they don’t get into the wrong hands.”
Who to call
You can contact Hampshire Constabulary by calling 101 and asking for the local Neighbourhood Team. In an emergency, always call 999.
If there are areas where you live or spend time that don’t feel safe you can report this anonymously via StreetSafe. The information is given to your local police force who can then look at what they can do to improve safety in that area.
Anonymous reporting is available through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit www.crimestoppers-uk.org
Support is available through the charity The Ben Kinsella Trust.
