Report to the People
29th May 2006
Bin
your Knife, Save a Life
Wednesday
saw the start of the month-long national knife amnesty.
From now until the end of June, anyone handing in a blade at a police
station or another disposal point will not be prosecuted for its possession.
This
is a welcome move, not least because well planned amnesties are proven to get
weapons off the streets and cut crime.
Research carried out after the four-week Operation Blade in 1993 showed
that more than 4,500 weapons were surrendered and, in the following 12 months,
murder rates fell by 26%. Attempted
murders were also down 19%, serious assaults down 14% and offensive weapons
possession down 23%.
If
you carry a knife, use your head and take advantage of this opportunity. Don't kid yourself you're carrying it for protection.
The fact is that being armed with a blade makes a night out more likely
to end in bloodshed, not less.
And,
if you won't listen to reason, listen to Detective Chief Superintendent John
Carnochan of the Violence Reduction Unit, who last week warned knife carriers
that, "after the amnesty we will be coming after you."
Not only that, when you're caught, you'll be fast-tracked into court,
where you'll be facing a stretch in jail.
This is your last chance. If you carry a blade, hand it in now. And if you know someone who walks the streets armed with a knife, urge them to see sense - you’ll be doing them and our community a favour.
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