Weapon sweeps, patrols, and knife crime workshops: Sceptre week in Birmingham

Birmingham’s neighbourhood police officers have been busy supporting Sceptre week across the city.

Sceptre week brings together all 43 police forces across England and Wales for intensified action against knife crime.

As part of that, our officers have been on weapons sweeps - to remove any potentially dangerous items from the community.

This week, sweeps have been carried out in parks and open spaces by our teams in Bordesley Green, Springfield and Sparkhill, Lozells and East Handworth, Longbridge, Perry Barr and Oscott, and Sutton Coldfield.

Awareness and education are also vital in reducing knife crime, and they’re a focus for our neighbourhood teams.

Our Brandwood team delivered a Life or Knife awareness talk at Bells Farm Community Centre, while Sutton Coldfield officers have been speaking about knife crime with students at Sutton College.

If you missed it, we’ve also supported pupils from Stockland Green School in creating an audio advert warning about the dangers of carrying a knife.

Elsewhere, our Bordesley officers have been supporting the launch of Hospital Watch, to keep people safe and reduce crime around Heartlands Hospital.

This week, the team and partners at the hospital have been focussing on combatting violence, hate, and aggression towards staff.

In the city centre this week, Operation Fearless officers descended on Birmingham New Street and surrounding areas for a day of action targeting drugs, anti-social behaviour, and violence.

We worked with partners including British Transport Police, the Central BID, immigration, taxi licensing, Birmingham Community Safety Partnership, and Safer Travel Colleagues, and made 17 arrests.

Dozens of people were stopped and searched as officers recovered three knives, drugs, and £1,000 in cash.

Across the city, neighbourhood teams are working flat out to deliver results for the communities they serve, dealing with offences from anti-social behaviour to shop theft and vehicle crime.

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