Police will put knife bin in Wigan for permanent amnesty

The move follows the success of Operation Sceptre’s week-long knife amnesty, which ran in September 2019, and saw over 600 knives deposited in amnesty bins across the region.

The forever amnesty will see 10 knife amnesty bins permanently placed in police stations throughout the region.

These will allow people to dispose of knives in a completely safe and anonymous way. The bins will be distributed in the following locations: Manchester, Stockport, Stretford, Tameside, Swinton, Oldham, Wigan, Bolton, Bury and Rochdale.

GMP’s Superintendent Chris Downey said: “We were delighted, and a little surprised with the results of September’s week-long amnesty, as we didn’t expect so many knives to be deposited.

“When the Operation Sceptre team came together with key partners to review the week-long campaign, we discussed the possibility of installing the bins on a permanent basis in an effort to reduce knife crime across Greater Manchester. Due to the overwhelming success of September’s amnesty it was something that we unanimously agreed on.

“I want to take this opportunity to reiterate that this kind of violence has no place on our streets, and it will not be tolerated. Deploying permanent amnesty bins is just one of the many steps we are taking in our fight against knife crime. A large part of our work is out in our communities with young people, educating them on the impact knives can have not just on individuals, but on families and communities.

“Our aim is to understand why people are carrying knives and work to dispel the myth that knives are essential to keeping you safe.

“Carrying a knife often has life-changing consequences, such as being expelled from school, being sent to prison and sadly, loss of life.

“Fear is often one of the main reasons for people carrying knives, as they believe that a knife will protect them, but actually, even if someone doesn’t plan on using the weapon, their chances of becoming a victim of knife crime increases just by carrying it.”