Backing the fight against knife crime
South Derbyshire District Council is backing a new campaign which brings art to local streets and parks as the county welcomes a national week of action on knife crime.
Teams from Swadlincote Police SNT have been sharing anti-knife crime messages by painting public spaces in a project completed in partnership with the Council. The action aims to raise awareness of the consequences that carrying a knife can lead to.
The images have been created as part of Operation Sceptre, a national campaign which raises awareness of knife crime and the consequences it can have.
Whilst the chalk-based paint will fade, it is hoped the messages will continue to have a lasting impact - you can see several of these images across many of our District's urban parks.
Councillor Kevin Richards, South Derbyshire District Council’s Leader, said: “Protecting the safety of South Derbyshire residents is a key priority for the Council and this is why we are working closely with Derbyshire Constabulary on Operation Sceptre.
“We will continue to work together to reduce the number of knives on the street in the district and also to educate young people on the dangers of carrying a knife.”
The Inspector for Derby South Michael Sisman explained that whilst the areas featured are not specific areas of concern, these images aim to provoke conversation.
“We have had some tragic incidents in our area over the past year, and we hope that by being active in the community with these images, we can highlight that we take incidents of knife crime seriously,” he said.
"This is just a small part of our work to reduce knife crime that takes place all year round.”
Operation Sceptre runs from Monday 16 – Friday 20 May 2022 and highlights the activities such as surrender locations, engagement events and enforcement activity that will take place around Derbyshire throughout this week.
If you have concerns about knife crime in your area, or information about someone who is carrying a knife or other weapon, please contact the police via the following methods:
Twitter – direct message the contact centre via @DerPolContact
Website – there are several crime reporting tools on our website or use our online contact form: https://bit.ly/30dfy9N
Phone – call 101
You can also anonymously contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111, or by visiting the Crimestoppers website: https://bit.ly/3KtVogB
19 May 2022