Permanent knife bins to surrender knives and sharp objects are being rolled out across Cleveland. - Monday 19 August 2019

By Hartlepool Alert

Permanent knife bins to surrender knives and sharp objects are being rolled out across Cleveland. The roll out of the bins in Stockton, Hartlepool and Redcar and Cleveland follows the instalment of a permanent bin at Middlesbrough Police Station earlier this year and ties in with the arrival of the Knife Angel in Centre Square, in Middlesbrough. The Knife Angel is a 27ft sculpture made from over 100,000 discarded knives and confiscated weapons from police forces around the country, which stands as a tragic reminder of the devastation caused by knife crime. Superintendent Wendy Tinkler, lead on knife crime at Cleveland Police, said Providing a permanent facility for our communities to hand in knives and sharp objects is just one of a number of ways that we can come together with members of the public to tackle knife crime. During our last knife surrender there were 385 knives and sharp objects handed in across Cleveland. This tells us that there are people in our local communities who want to help us to tackle the issue of knife crime and raise awareness of the dangers of carrying knives in order to prevent and reduce the risk of knife crime and serious violence. Police and Crime Commissioner Barry Coppinger said Securing a visit from the Knife Angel is a massive coup for Cleveland, but its important that we develop longterm and permanent solutions to truly rid our communities of knife crime. Im pleased that Cleveland Police have taken the step to introduce knife bins in all four of their main police stations, providing a place for those with unwanted knives and weapons to dispose of them safely and without question. By taking these weapons off the streets and educating our young people about the dangers of carrying a knife, we stand the best chance of rooting out knife crime and reducing serious violence in Cleveland. Students from Stockton Riverside College and NETA Training will be putting together their own piece of artwork with the knives that have been handed in. The permanent knife bins are located at the four main police stations in Middlesbrough, Stockton, Hartlepool and Redcar and Cleveland. The stations are open weekdays from 8am8pm. Photo Credit Cleveland Police Photo shows (LR) Superintendent Wendy Tinkler, Police Crime Commissioner Barry Coppinger and Theresa Cave from The Chris Cave Foundation with the permanent knife bin at Stockton Police Station

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