News / avon and somerset police
Surrender bins see 175 knives taken off streets in a year
People have surrendered 175 knives or items with blades into community-based bins in Knowle and Castle Park over the last year.
Avon & Somerset Police installed the collection points in April 2023 to provide a way to safely and anonymously hand in potential weapons to prevent them from causing harm.
It comes in the midst of what has been described as a “knife crime epidemic” that has tragically seen young lives lost.
is needed now More than ever
In March, media organisations in Bristol, together with partner organisations and individuals, launched the Together for Change campaign that seeks to address the root causes of this public health issue.
The police have also been working with HeartSafe UK to roll out more than 150 emergency bleed kits in public places. These kits can help save lives when someone is badly bleeding before emergency services arrive.
More than 150 emergency bleed kits are being installed in public places across Bristol – photo: Ellie Pipe
Chief inspector Mike Vass, knife crime lead for Avon & Somerset, has called on people to think before carrying a knife.
“We know we can’t police our way out of knife crime, but we are doing everything we can to target those who either pose the biggest risk or are most at risk themselves,” said chief inspector Vass.
“We work closely with our partners in the Violence Reduction Partnership to put diversionary interventions and tactics in place as soon as these young people are identified to us.”
The bins installed at The Park Centre on Daventry Road in Knowle and in Castle Park, opposite the entrance to The Galleries, are the first of their kind in the city to be installed in community locations, rather than outside police stations.
The force says a further two community bins are due to be installed in east Bristol later this month.
Chief inspector Vass added: “It’s great to see that these two new community bins are being used. Whether it’s just people surrendering their kitchen knives or young people discarding potential weapons, either way, it’s taking these potentially harmful items off our streets and out of the hands of young people.
“Some of the weapons we have seen surrendered into these bins have been exactly the sort that we are concerned about on our streets.
“This is a reminder to anyone who may be carrying a knife that these bins are there, and this is proof that they can be safely discarded anonymously. Carrying a knife does not keep you safe; you’re at a higher risk of being injured or injuring someone else if you are carrying one. So please, think twice and protect yourselves and others by discarding them safely.”
Main photo: Ellie Pipe
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