Police deploy knife arch to keep young people safe

Police teams in Torquay recently deployed a mobile knife arch to an under-18s music event to educate and deter young people from carrying a knife.

The popular evening event, which sold over 850 tickets to people under the age of 18, took place on Saturday 20 April.

The knife arch, which looks similar to security scanners used in airports, was positioned at the entrance of the venue to scan everyone entering the premises. The arch works instantly, flashing red when there is a positive result for a metal object and green for a negative scan. No knives were found during the deployment. 

Inspector Chris Lithgow, who heads up the neighbourhood police team in Torquay, said: “Knife crime is not a major problem in Devon and Cornwall, and the region is one of the safest areas in the country to live, with the second lowest overall rate of crime in the country.

“It is a positive that no knives were found during this deployment. We don’t expect to come away from these events seizing a quantity of knives; but we find that taking the knife arch to events where young people are in attendance presents us with a great opportunity to be visible and have an open conversation - educating them about knife crime and the consequences of carrying one. Our officers’ presence also acts as strong deterrent to further discourage them from carrying one now and in the future.

“Taking the arch to events also shows young people, and the public, that our officers take knife crime seriously, and that we are proactively going out into our communities to target individuals who may be carrying one.

“We don’t just use the knife arch at under 18s events, it has also been used this across Torbay and South Devon, targeting a number of occasions and locations.”

The knife arch has been used across a variety of events in the Torbay area, including outside a nightclub in Torquay, scanning over 1,000 people. There are a total of two knife arches across Devon & Cornwall.

If people under the age of 18 are found with a knife in a public place, they can be arrested and charged, receiving a criminal record.

The maximum penalty for an adult carrying a knife or weapon illegally is either four years in prison, an unlimited fine, or both. You’ll get a prison sentence if you’re convicted of carrying a knife or weapon illegally more than once.

If you have any information or concerns about someone carrying a knife, please report it to Devon & Cornwall Police online via the website dc.police.uk, or Crimestoppers UK on 0800 555111. Your information could help save a life.  

Guidance on basic laws on knives, banned knives and weapons and legitimate reasons for carrying a knife can be found on the Government website: www.gov.uk/buying-carrying-knives