Knife amnesty bin at Blackwood Police Station as part of week-long national campaign

A knife amnesty bin has been set up at Blackwood Police Station as part of national efforts to deter knife crime.

Gwent Police is joining police forces across the country as part of the week-long Operation Spectre, which will also see officers speaking to school pupils, youth groups, retailers, and the wider community.

In Blackwood, the knife amnesty bin will be open from Monday November 17 to Friday November 21, between 9am and 1pm, and 2pm and 4pm. It is one of five amnesty bins being set up across Gwent this week.

Knife amnesty bins across Gwent

The bins will be available at the following stations and accessible at these times:

Newport Central (Cardiff Road, NP20 2EH) – Monday to Sunday; 8am to 6pm.
Blackwood (Blackwood Road, NP12 2XA) – Monday to Friday; 9am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm.
Ebbw Vale (Bethcar Street, NP23 6UY) – Monday to Friday; 9am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm.
Cwmbran (Tudor Road, NP44 3XH) – Monday to Friday; 9am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm.

The bins will allow people to safely and, anonymously, dispose of dangerous knives and blades.

People looking to deposit dangerous knives at these bins are asked to package the blade prior to placing them in the bins, so they can be removed safely.

Meanwhile, knives can be dropped off at Rhymney Police Station between 4pm and 6pm on Tuesday November 18. On the same day, a mobile police station will be at Bargoed Morrisons between 3pm and 4pm, and Tesco Ystrad Mynach between 4.15pm and 5.15pm.

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Sergeant Phill Jones, who is leading Gwent’s Sceptre operation, said: “Knife crime can have a devastating impact on our communities and while policing plays a big role in reducing knife crime, we cannot address the issue alone.

“As a service, we continue to speak with young people, in particular, to educate them on the consequences of carrying bladed articles.

“As part of our daily policing, we conduct intelligence-led stop-search powers to target those who may commit violent crime.”

Sgt Jones continued: “But I want to appeal directly to those who carry a knife as well as to their family and friends.

“Carrying a knife doesn’t protect you – it can make a situation worse – so if you know someone who is carrying a knife in your area, please report it to us immediately.

“By providing us with that information, you could be saving the life of someone you love.”

He added: “I want to reassure communities that anyone caught carrying a knife, no matter the reason, we will stop and search them, seize the weapon and deal with them proportionally through the criminal justice system.”

Anyone with information about individuals involved in knife crime can contact Gwent Police on 101 or through direct message on social media.

Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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