Sceptre: Knife crime intensification week sees more encouraging enforcement and education
Greater Manchester Police's Operation Venture team conducted a week-long intensified effort to tackle knife crime, resulting in 250 arrests and the recovery of 300 knives. The initiative included school engagement visits, test purchases, weapon sweeps, and knife amnesty bins. Knife crime in the region has stabilised, with a slight decrease in incidents over the past year. Education and community engagement were highlighted as key strategies alongside enforcement.
Over 250 Arrested and 300 Knives Seized in Greater Manchester Crime Crackdown
Greater Manchester Police made over 250 arrests and recovered more than 300 knives during a week-long intensive operation targeting knife crime and knife-point robberies across the region.
The coordinated campaign, which ran from November 11-17, saw specialized officers from Operation Venture - the force’s dedicated serious violence team - supported by district officers from Tameside to Wigan conducting widespread enforcement activities. These included deploying knife arches, executing warrants, conducting intelligence patrols, and intercepting suspicious packages.
The operation yielded significant results beyond the arrests and weapon seizures. Officers conducted 45 school visits educating students about knife crime consequences, performed 51 test purchases with only five retailers failing compliance checks, and carried out 90 weapon sweeps of key locations. A total of 282 knives were recovered directly from amnesty bins placed throughout the community.
Superintendent Caroline Hemingway from Operation Venture and the Greater Manchester Violence Reduction Unit emphasized the multi-faceted approach to tackling violence. “Our committed team, alongside supporting the work of the Greater Manchester Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) - a multi-agency team that seeks to prevent violence by addressing the underlying causes, is underpinned by the wider force and the daily work we all do to help with serious violence and especially knife crime which includes knife-enabled robbery,” she said.
While knife crime remains a significant concern with approximately 400 incidents monthly, data shows the situation has stabilized. Personal robberies involving knives have decreased slightly from over 100 to around 97 incidents per month over the past year.
Since its formation 18 months ago, Operation Venture has made 717 arrests, recovered 202 weapons, seized 166 vehicles and over £250,000 in cash, and confiscated more than £80,000 worth of drugs while conducting 765 proactive stop and searches on known offenders.
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