Week long campaign targeting knife crime successful in St Helens

With the busy festive season drawing near, November’s operation focused on knife-enabled robbery, to reduce the impact this crime has on local communities.

Across Merseyside, a number of proactive operations took place, including stop searches, weapons sweeps, search warrants and the use of knife detection arches.

The week of intense activity across the region resulted in:

• 53 knives seized

• 20 arrests for knife-related crime

• 34 stop and searches

• 2 search warrants executed

• 14 retailers visited as part of a knife test purchase operation

• 12 bike marking events

Specifically in St Helens, the local policing team teamed up with colleagues from British Transport Police (BTP) to deploy a knife arch operation in high footfall areas in St Helens, including St Helens Central train station.

It was supported by local partners including MerseyTravel and McDonalds on Church Street. Officers engaged with hundreds of rail users and pedestrians in the area and undertook a number of proactive stop searches.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, November 16, PCSOs held a free bike marking event at St Helens Retail Park.

At the event, bikes were marked with a unique code and added to the national Bike Register database, making it easier for officers to reunite stolen bikes with their owners. Local officers from St Helens have registered 198 bikes this year to date (April-Oct 24).

(Image: A Mobile Police Station in St Helens)

With the help of their recently unveiled fleet of e-bikes, officers patrolled a number of open spaces that traditional police vehicles can't easily access.

With the week of action focusing on knife-enabled robbery, officers aimed to disrupt those responsible for bike thefts and robberies of high value bikes.

Test purchase operations were also carried out at various stores across Merseyside to spot check age compliance for the sale of knives, with the support of Merseyside’s Police Cadets.

Of the 14 retail premises visited, 13 challenged the underage cadets for identification before refusing to sell the items.

The retailer which failed was given advice to ensure future compliance, will undergo a review of its underage sales policies and be subject to further test purchases.

Superintendent Phil Mullally, lead for serious violence and Knife Crime, said: “The results from this week of action hopefully show the public a snapshot of what our officers are doing daily to tackle knife crime and robbery.

“Tackling violence is a year-round focus for the force – we are working day and night to protect our communities through targeted foot patrols, test purchase operations, knife arches, search warrants and a range of police powers such as Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs).

“We remain focused on dealing with the accessibility of intimidating weapons and targeting those who are selling weapons online.

"The two warrants executed show that we are proactively seizing knives and making arrests based on thorough investigations and intelligence.

“This enforcement work goes hand in hand with prevention and working with the likes of the Violence Reduction Partnership, Safer Schools Team and community organisations.

"Just this week we have engaged with more than 3,000 young people in a new knife crime project aimed at early intervention and education.

“I would also encourage the public to support us and tell us who is carrying, using, or storing knives or weapons. Please come forward so we can continue to disrupt offenders and bring them to justice.”

Merseyside Police Commissioner Emily Spurrell said: “Once again, Sceptre shows that the vast majority of good people across Merseyside are working with police to help tackle knife crime by handing in potentially dangerous weapons, preventing them from ending up on the streets and reducing the risk of them being used to cause harm.

“I’m also encouraged to hear that thirteen out of fourteen retailers refused to sell knives to underage customers during test purchases and the one who didn’t is acting on advice and carrying out a review of their underage sales policies.

“Preventing and tackling knife crime is a priority all year round for Merseyside Police, our Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership (MVRP) and the organisations we work with, which is why we have invested significant resources into tackling violent crime as well as educating on the consequences of carrying a knife and this remains an ongoing priority for all of us.

“Whilst Merseyside Police take robust action against those who arm themselves, they cannot do it alone and that’s why prevention is at the heart of all our work.

"Our MVRP uses a public health approach when it comes to interventions to try and prevent incidents in the future, particularly through educational schemes.

"This includes KnifeSavers, which sees local trauma surgeons work with young people to bring home the realities of using a knife, and our Mentors in Violence programme which sees young people empowered to try and prevent violence.

“Innovative initiatives like these are critical to the work we are doing to reduce the likelihood of incidents from happening, preventing harm by keeping offensive weapons from falling into the wrong hands.”

If you have information about someone carrying a knife, or know someone involved in crime, you can report any concerns on 999 if a crime is in progress, via 101, or the social media desk via Twitter @MerPolCC.

You can also pass information via Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or via their online form at: https://crimestoppers-uk.org.