Officers pilot home visits in knife amnesty week
Cambridgeshire PoliceA week-long knife amnesty will include home visits from officers for the first time, aimed at people who cannot access police station weapon bins.
The Cambridgeshire Police amnesty offers people the chance to surrender weapons such as knives and machetes.
It also includes knuckledusters, extendable batons, curved swords and zombie weapons, which are now illegal to own.
Possession of weapons offences in Cambridgeshire have increased by 31%, from 312 between April 2023 and March 2024, to 408 between 2024-2025, police said.
Cambridgeshire PoliceA record 370 items were handed in during the last amnesty in November, the force added.
The home visits are being piloted in some areas of Peterborough, Fenland and East Cambridgeshire.
Those interested can get in touch with the force by email, and an officer will arrange a time for collection.
Supt Paul Rogerson said: "Regular amnesties continue to be part of our ongoing work to combat knife crime in the county and I am pleased we have a new option available to people this year."
Officers will also undertake school visits during the week, while extra patrols will be carried out in "hotspot" areas, targeting those believed to be carrying knives.
Supt Rogerson said: "Although our statistics show possession of weapon offences have increased, this doesn't necessarily mean knife crime has done the same.
"The rise could be due to any number of reasons, for example more pro-active work by officers to tackle the issue, more stop searches, or others having more confidence to report those who carry weapons to us."
He added that more than 160 knives were seized as a result of 215 extra stop searches last year.
The amnesty bins are in place at Thorpe Wood Police Station in Peterborough and Parkside Police Station in Cambridge.
A weapons bin will also be available on 22 May at Sawston Police Station between 10:00 BST and 14:00 - and at Cambourne Police Station between 14:00 and 18:00.
Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.