People across North Yorkshire are being urged to play their part in helping prevent violent crime as a countywide rollout of knife bins gets underway.
The bins are used to collect bladed items that might otherwise find their way into the wrong hands.
The items can be deposited safely and anonymously and are then collected and destroyed by the police.
It follows the successful trial of a bin in Harrogate. To date, more than 1,800 bladed items have been left in the bin located at the town’s Dragon Road car park.
Another 20 bins are now being sited in Skipton, Ripon, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge, Northallerton, Stokesley, Thirsk, Tadcaster, Selby, Malton, Pickering, Scarborough, Whitby, Colburn, Richmond and York.
As part of the rollout, North Yorkshire Police’s website will include an interactive map with locations and information about the knife bins.
While knife crime statistics in North Yorkshire are two and a half times lower than the national average, there is a desire to avoid complacency.
The joint initiative by North Yorkshire Council, City of York Council and North Yorkshire Police has been made possible by a grant of more than £15,000 from the York and North Yorkshire Office for Policing, Fire, Crime and Commissioning, part of the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, through its North Yorkshire and York Serious Violence Duty (SVD) Prevention and Early Intervention Fund.
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for corporate services, Cllr Heather Phillips, whose responsibilities include community safety, said:
“The roll-out of these new knife bins follows calls from people who witnessed the success of the trial in Harrogate and wanted to have something similar where they live.
“It is not an admission that there is a problem in these communities, more an opportunity for people to take preventative measures to safeguard members of their family, their neighbours and others where they live.
“If we can prevent just one knife or bladed article getting into the wrong hands, then these bins will have proven to be worthwhile.”
The York and North Yorkshire deputy mayor for policing, fire and crime, Jo Coles, said: "Across York and North Yorkshire over the last year there were around 300 incidents involving knives.
“Knife crime is a national problem and although our region has relatively low levels of this type of crime, the risk to our communities from knives is extremely serious.
“Knife bin schemes like this help to remove dangerous weapons from our streets, making our communities safer. The expansion in the number of knife bins is therefore welcome progress towards the creation of safer places for everyone."
Sergeant Paul Evans, of North Yorkshire Police’s Craven neighbourhood policing team, said:
“While knife crime in North Yorkshire is much lower than average, sadly we do deal with the catastrophic effects of knives falling into the wrong hands.
“By having highly secure tamper-proof bins in easy-to-reach locations we can limit the chances of that happening.
“I’d encourage people to use the new online map to find their nearest bin, then wrap their knives in cardboard to safely dispose of them. You won’t get into trouble for transporting knives to these locations, and you’ll be helping to keep North Yorkshire safe.”
Skipton was one of the areas where a knife bin was requested. It has now been located in the High Street car park, on Jerry Croft in the town.
Skipton Town Council member, Cllr Brian McDaid, who chairs the town’s community safety working group, said:
“This is an incredibly important step in the fight against knife crime, which has tragically led to too many young lives being lost across the country.
“Knife crime not only puts lives at risk but also leaves families and communities shattered. The increase in knife crime deaths, particularly among young people, makes this issue all the more urgent.
“This scheme is not just about removing weapons, but about sending a message that we care about the safety of our young people and the well-being of our communities.”
North Yorkshire Council’s elected member for Skipton North and Embsay with Eastby, Cllr David Noland, said:
“We all need to feel safe as we go about our daily business, whether that is to and from school, work, leisure or shopping.
“It’s all too clear from the news that lives are blighted every day, somewhere, by the availability of knives that can all too easily become weapons in the wrong hands.”
Those wishing to deposit a knife are advised to wrap the blade in either thick paper or cardboard and secure with tape as a safety precaution.
Once secure, take the knife directly to the bin location and deposit it safely by dropping it through the hatch.
People can see the exact locations of all the knife bins in York and North Yorkshire by visiting the North Yorkshire Police website at www.northyorkshire.police.uk/knifebins.
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