Sceptre, the national week of action targeting knife crime for police forces across the UK, is now underway.
With the busy festive season coming soon, November’s week of action is focusing on robberies involving knives. This is to help reduce the impact of this serious crime on our local communities. Several activities will take place this week to keep everyone safe from robberies and knife crimes:
There will be uniformed patrols during the day and night in certain areas, including searches of open land for weapons.
We will use knife arches in busy places to find hidden weapons.
Targeted stop and search operations will focus on people who have Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs).
There will be bike marking events where people can protect their bikes for free.
Our Police Cadets will carry out test purchases to make sure stores are following rules about selling knives to young people.
There will be 10 drop-off points where people can give up a knife or weapon safely.
We will talk to schools about the dangers of carrying a knife. During the week, officers from Merseyside Police will continue their work to tackle knife related crime and use it as an opportunity to educate the public on the dangers of carrying a weapon.
People can safely give up knives, sharp objects, or any dangerous weapons at 10 police stations in Liverpool, St Helens, Knowsley, Sefton, and Wirral. Each knife returned means there is one less dangerous weapon on the streets of Merseyside.
On Friday, November 15, the #kNOwKnifeCrime campaign, led by Laura Hughes, will hold an event for schools. This event, along with Cash for Kids and the LFC Foundation, aims to help young people understand the dangers of knife crime. They will give away KnifeSavers bleed control kits to secondary schools in the area. The Safer Schools Team is supporting this important event to show how they work to stop knife crime and teach young people about weapons.
KnifeSavers comes from the Liverpool University Hospitals Foundation Trust, led by trauma surgeon Nikhil Misra, who helps with Merseyside’s Violence Reduction Partnership. Their campaign teaches young people about the risks and results of carrying a knife and helps everyone learn how to act quickly if there is severe bleeding from an injury.
Police officers will patrol areas in Merseyside to stop criminals and make the community feel safe. They will focus on places where serious crimes, like robbery, are more likely to happen. These patrols have helped reduce serious violent crime by 48.6%, which means there were 139 fewer crimes in the 25 hotspot areas this year. Personal robbery has dropped by 60%, with 90 fewer crimes.
Valuable items like bikes and E-bikes are often stolen, so the police have a special operation to prevent these crimes. Officers are also checking bikes on the Bike Register to see if they have been reported lost or stolen.
Officers have also registered 1,250 bikes this year and have worked with bike retailers to promote the benefits of marking bikes at the point of sale.
Across Merseyside, knife crime and robbery offences decreased by 6.56% and 14.96% respectively for the year ending June 2024 compared with the previous 12 months (Office of National Statistics).
We know that being a victim of robbery can be a frightening experience and can have a long-lasting impact.
That’s why we use a range of tactics from covert operations, high visibility patrols to working with partners to share crime prevention advice.
Seeing the substantial fall in personal robbery within our targeted patrol areas, but also across Merseyside shows that our operations are working, and our hard work is having an impact.
However, we know that one robbery is one too many so we will continue to drive forward with our work to tackle this crime and bring offenders to justice.
Carrying or arming yourself with a knife for any type of crime will not be tolerated. These offences will always be investigated fully by our teams, with the safeguarding of victims a priority.
With more people out and about leading up to festive period, it is more important than ever that people remain vigilant. If you do become a victim of a robbery, please report it to us straight away by calling 999 in an emergency or 101.
Superintendent Phil Mullally, Merseyside’s Lead for Serious Violence and Knife Crime
Sadly, we know all too well the devastating consequences knife crime has on victims, their loved ones, and the communities in which they live.
Preventing and tackling knife crime is a top priority for Merseyside Police and figures show incidents have reduced in the past year by more than 6%. Whilst this is a welcome decline, and a testament to the hard work of officers, our Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership (MVRP) and other partner organisations, we will not rest on our laurels.
We know, enforcement alone isn’t the answer and that is why our MVRP is committed to funding initiatives that educate young people on the dire outcomes carrying a knife can have, while also focusing on the root causes of serious violence.
By empowering our young people through innovative initiatives, we can change outcomes and prevent incidents from happening in the first place. This is critical to our work and how we go about reducing violent crime in the years to come.
There is never a valid reason to carry a knife and each one surrendered is one less on our streets so I would appeal to you directly to hand offensive weapons in at one of the designated drop off points across Merseyside.
Alternatively, if you suspect somebody may be carrying a knife then I would urge you to speak out, you can do so anonymously, and by doing so you may just help to save a life.
Merseyside Police Commissioner, Emily Spurrell
Keep yourself safe. You can reduce your risk of being a target of robbery if you:
Look confident, move with purpose, and remain aware of your surroundings.
Plan your route and think about what to take with you, especially if you’re going somewhere you haven’t been before.
Keep to busy, well-lit streets, walkways and paths which are more likely to be covered by CCTV.
Use licensed taxis or minicabs booked by phone or on an app.
Keep your mobile phone and valuables out of sight. If you’re using your phone, it’s more likely to be snatched from your hand as you’re not paying attention to your surroundings, so look around you.
Remember not to leave your mobile phone, any other device, wallet, or purse on the table of an outdoor café, pub, or restaurant. The same applies for any jewellery you might be wearing – keep it covered when walking down the street.
Own a bike? Protect it. Register your bike on BikeRegister and you could be reunited with it, in the event of it being stolen. Visit bikeregister.com/join
Register your phone on immobilise.com and keep a note of your IMEI number by dialling *#06# – if it’s stolen, the police may be able to recover it.
If you’re threatened with violence, don’t risk your personal safety. Property can be replaced, you can’t.
Report it straight away. If a crime is in progress call 999.
If you know someone who has a knife or is doing something wrong, you can tell the police. If a crime is happening right now, call 999. For other worries, call 101 or send a message on X to @MerPolCC. You can also contact Crimestoppers to share information without giving your name.
If you need help because of a crime, you can call the Victim Care Merseyside Hub for support. The number is Freephone 0808 175 3080, and they are available on weekdays from 8am to 6pm. You can also fill out a contact form anytime at www.victimcaremerseyside.org.