Knife amnesty bins officially unveiled
TWO specially designed knife amnesty bins are now in place on the streets of two Essex towns.
This means that in both Clacton and Colchester people can now safely dispose of knives and other bladed weapons safely without fear of prosecution.
Caroline Shearer with Deputy PCC Lindsay Whitehouse, Chief Insp Russ Cole and others at the Clacton launch
The bins were provided free of charge by the British Ironwork Centre in partnership with Caroline Shearer, who set up the Only Cowards Carry weapons awareness charity following the tragic fatal stabbing of her son Jay Whiston in Colchester in 2012.
The amnesty is being supported by Essex Police, the Essex Police and Crime Commissioner, Tendring District Council and Colchester Borough Council and Only Cowards Carry.
It follows a successful knife amnesty trial in the Summer of 2014 in Tendring, during which over 400 bladed items were handed in.
The bin in Clacton has been placed outside of the Only Cowards Carry shop in Jackson Road whilst the Colchester bin is outside of the police station on Southway.
Caroline Shearer with Deputy PCC Lindsay Whitehouse, Chief Insp Russ Cole and others at the Clacton launch
For safety reasons, people depositing weapons in either bin are advised to wrap the weapon or blade in newspaper, before placing it in a secure cardboard box and then transporting it to either site.
The British Ironwork Centre has agreed to provide 150 knife amnesty bins, through the Home Office, to police forces around the country. Of those, Essex will be offered 10 (which includes the two now in Clacton and Colchester) to place at various locations around the county as and when the knife amnesty initiative is extended.
The family-run company are hoping to use 100,000 of the blades and weapons collected to create a national sculpture, as a symbol against violence and aggression.
Caroline Shearer with Chief Insp Richard Phillibrown, Clive Knowles of the British Ironwork Centre and Sculptor Alfie Bradley
If someone is unsure about whether to bring in a knife they can contact Essex Police on 101 for advice.
Please see the earlier article on the knife amnesties for additional background, including comments from Chief Constable Kavanagh, Caroline Shearer and Nick Alston, PCC for Essex.
