Knives seized and arrests made as part of national campaign

Officers visited schools, checked retailers, and completed searches in Sussex as part of Operation Sceptre, a national campaign to tackle knife crime.

More than 70 weapons were taken off the streets as part of the campaign, while 23 arrests were made across the county.

Police also carried out checks on shops and retailers to ensure that staff completed age checks on restricted items such as knives. 

There were also public engagement meetings held and visits to schools to engage with young people.

Sussex Police's force lead for serious violence and knife crime, Chief Inspector Jim Loader, said: "One knife on the street is one too many, and one knife can cause a huge impact on the lives of victims and their families.

“We are steadfast in our commitment to reducing weapons on the streets, with weeks of action such as Op Sceptre highlighting the ongoing year-round efforts implemented to decrease the number of people carrying knives, as well as providing interventions to steer individuals away from this lifestyle.

“Sussex is a safe place, and knife crime here is substantially below the national average by area.

"But we know there is always room for improvement. That is why we remain dedicated to enhancing safety, proactively taking weapons off of the street as well as offering educational visits to young people across Sussex and partnering with charities that provide support and guidance.”

The campaign emphasises to young people and parents that it is only a very small minority of people who possess knives, and that rather than providing protection, carrying a knife in fact makes you much more likely to be harmed by one.

The campaign was supported by Martin Cosser, who's son Charlie, aged 17, was murdered in a knife attack in Warnham in Sussex in July 2023.

Martin said: "I would say to parents that you have a responsibility to be aware of what's going on with your children, who they are associating with, and whether there's a risk or you think they are carrying a knife.

"A lot of children think that carrying a knife is for protection, but I am here to tell you that they are 65% more likely to be stabbed, or to stab someone else just by carrying one.

"So if you are worried about your kids, if you think they are being bullied, or have got into a new group of people, or you believe their mood or attitude has been changing, make sure you are opening up those conversations with them. You may think it's difficult, they might think 'why are they talking about this, I don't have a problem with knives'.

"But I only wish I had had that conversation with my son Charlie. I'll never know if Charlie had heard that there was a knife at the party that night when he was stabbed.

"My wife and I often say, if it can happen to Charlie, it can happen to anyone.

"Don't have regrets, open up those conversations."

In the week-long awareness campaign between November 11 to 17:

• 78 knives were either seized or removed from our streets in Sussex.
• Officers completed 19 weapons sweeps at public places, such as The Level in Brighton. Two knives were recovered as part of these sweeps.
• The force operated 18 knife surrender bins, where 74 knives were surrendered.
• Officers carried out 18 stop and searches, recovering one knife, and made 23 arrests with the recovery of one further knife.
• There were 18 public engagement meetings and events held, and 14 schools were visited.
• Officers and cadets visited 24 retailers to carry out checks and test purchases, with six retailers in Crawley identified as failing to operate the Challenge 25 scheme. These retailers were given words of advice to ensure the policy was enforced in future, and our findings have also been shared with partner agencies.

In September, the law changed on the possession and carrying of zombie-style knives and machetes. The new law has come into effect which makes it illegal to possess these items in a private place as well as the sale, manufacture, and transport of these dangerous weapons, marking a major step forward in making our communities safer.