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Allan
Wilson has welcomed plans for a local and national knife amnesty.
The four week amnesty, entitled ‘bin a knife, save a
life’, will begin on May 24 and is the first stage of a wider Safer Scotland
Anti-Violence Campaign.
 Local
Labour MSP Allan Wilson has welcomed plans for a local and national knife
amnesty in a drive to tackle knife crime and violence in North Ayrshire and
across Scotland.
The four week amnesty, entitled ‘bin a knife, save a life’, will begin on
May 24 and is the first stage of a wider Safer Scotland Anti-Violence
Campaign. Local people will be asked to surrender their knives and weapons
to the local police station. Those surrendering weapons to the police during
the amnesty will not be prosecuted for possession of the weapon.
Speaking about the plans, Cunninghame North MSP Allan Wilson said:
“This knife amnesty is yet another effort by the Executive and local police
to create safer streets and communities throughout North Ayrshire.
Initiatives like this have already proved successful in reducing local crime
levels and communities can be reassured that the government, police and
law-abiding majority are on their side.
“Often those who carry a knife or dangerous weapon mistakenly believe they
are protecting themselves and have no intention of becoming a murderer – but
coupled with drink or drugs these weapons all too often lead to bloodshed. I
would urge those who do carry a knife to do the right thing and hand it into
the police.”
The campaign comes just days after the Executive announced funding for 1,000
more hand-held metal detectors and changes to prosecution guidance on knife
crime which will mean those persistently caught carrying a knife will be
dealt with more effectively and face stiffer penalties.
The 12 month Safer Scotland Anti-Violence campaign is being jointly run by
the Executive, Violence Reduction Unit and Association of Chief Police
Officers in Scotland to tackle the culture of violence in Scotland.
Notes:
Key strands of this campaign include:
Expansion of the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) to create a national centre
for excellence’ for violence prevention which will provide consultancy
advice and share best practice across Scotland.
Creation of an Executive-led national working group to tackle violence, to
identify, investigate and drive forward best practice across Scotland that
tackle violence and its underlying causes. It will draw upon a range of
experts who will work with the group to share their experience of violence
prevention.
Creation of a national website for those working in the field to share best
practice, highlight successful initiatives and provide ideas for local
solutions to violence issues.
The knife amnesty is the first in the series of the national campaigns
outlined above and will run under the Safer Scotland banner.
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