Police respond to deadly three weeks of knife crime by increasing stop and search powers

Greater Manchester Police have increased their stop and search powers after three fatal stabbings in three weeks.  

Over the weekend police stopped and searched 103 people in Greater Manchester and made six arrests following a spate of knife crime in the region.

Using section 60 of the 1994 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act police are granted the power to stop and search the public following violence, or if they believe there is a threat of violence. 
On 23 January, 16-year-old Kenny Carter was stabbed and killed on Thirlmere Avenue in Streford.  Just a week later, on 30 January, Alan Szelugowski was murdered in another fatal knife attack in Clowes Park, Salford.

Another fatal stabbing happened last week on 4 February when 20-year-old Dylan Keelan was stabbed to death in Tameside. Five teenagers have been arrested in connection with his death.  

There have been three non-fatal attacks in the same time frame, taking to six the number of stabbings in 16 days, along with a firearm being discharged on Eliza Street in Hulme in the early hours of Monday morning.

In 2019, GMP introduced a knife amnesty to reduce knife crime across Greater Manchester.  The scheme was extending in 2020 as the police launched the Forever Knife Amnesty.

Alongside an intensification of stop and searches across the city the knife amnesty still exists.  There are 13 sites across Greater Manchester where dangerous knives can be given over anonymously to remove them from circulation. 

More than 1,000 knives have been deposited since its launch and Greater Manchester Police have thanked the public for their support of this scheme, stating:

“The campaign continues to be a success, as the number of knives doesn’t appear to be slowing down.”

Anyone with information about knife or violent crime can contact Greater Manchester Police on 0161 856 4409.  Calls can also be made anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.