OFFICERS from Cathedral Safer Neighbourhood Team visited retailers in Worcester city centre as part of Op Sceptre week.
Op Sceptre, which runs until Sunday (November 19), aims to help tackle knife crime across the country and locally in the West Mercia force area.
Worcester Cathedral ward SNT will be involved in a range of activities this week related to the criminal use of knives to ensure the safety of and protect the public.
PCSOs Rukhsana Machin and Ian Cadwallader were joined by partners at Worcestershire Trading Standards visiting retailers to check items such as kitchen knives, hunting knives, pen knives and multi-tools were being correctly stored, and security tagged.
They also made sure the shops that sell them – including Asda, Blacks, Mountain Warehouse, Trespass and Cookmate Worcester – were adhering to the Challenge 25 policy where retailers are encouraged to ask for ID from anyone who may be over 18 but looks under 25.
PCSO Cadwallader said: “Working with our partners at Trading Standards we visited many retailers in the city centre to make sure they were storing knives and multi-tools correctly and with security tags in place, offering reassurance and advice if necessary.
“We also made sure they were using the Challenge 25 policy to make sure potential buyers were over 18. I’m pleased to say all stores we visited were operating best practices for the sale of knives and other potentially harmful items and no concerns were raised.”
During the week members of the public are being encouraged to anonymously drop off unwanted knives and blades in a dedicated knife surrender bin at Worcester Police Station on Castle Street to ensure they are disposed of safely and do not get in the wrong hands.
Visit West Mercia Police’s website for more information about the intervention programme or childrenssociety.org.uk for more on the Steer Clear knife campaign.
Concerns about knife crime can be reported anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or through Fearless at fearless.org.
