More than 600 knives handed into police in city centre during amnesty
- GMP bins dotted around Manchester as part of knives amnesty
- 632 knives handed in during week-long amnesty
- Police now looking to make it permenant
More than 600 knives have been left anonymously in amnesty bins placed by police across Manchester city centre.
Officers are keen to keep the 10 bins out on a permanent basis due to the success of the operation after just one week.
A total of 44 arrests for separate knife incidents were made over the same week and three knives were recovered.
Superintendent Chris Downey said: “This is a great result for Greater Manchester as this means there are 632 less knives on the streets.
“During the week 232 stop and searches were performed, which have proved to be an important preventative tactic in reducing knife crime incidents.
“The consequences around carrying a knife are huge. Even if you don’t plan on using the knife, just by carrying it, your chances of becoming a victim of knife crime increase.”
A total of 126 educational events took place during the week including officers talking to pupils in schools and colleges.