Posted on 06/16/2006 10:42:05 AM PDT by dennisw
Knife amnesty nets 17,700 weapons Over 17,700 weapons were handed in during the first week of the national knives amnesty, the Home Office said. Machetes, meat cleavers and axes as well as knives were among the haul of 17,715 surrendered to the 43 police forces across England and Wales.
Home office minister Vernon Coaker said the results were "encouraging".
The five-week amnesty, running until 30 June, allows people to surrender knives at police stations without fear of punishment.
Mr Coaker urged those who had not yet handed in their weapons to do so.
"The initial figures for the first week of that campaign are very encouraging, " he said.
"That is 17,715 fewer weapons that can be used in a crime against ordinary, law-abiding citizens.
"If you carry a knife out of self-defence, you run the risk of having it turned on you. Carrying a knife is illegal and will not be tolerated. It could land you four years in prison"
'Significant step'
As well as knives, Devon and Cornwall police also received an 8lb anti-tank rocket launcher, known as a "tankbuster", which has a range of up to 350 metres.
A force spokesman said: "The amnesty is for all weapons and if someone wants to get rid of a rocket launcher, that's fine by us."
Devon and Cornwall's assistant chief constable, Tony Melville, who is also a member of the Association of Chief Police Officers, said the haul was "a significant step towards making our streets safer".
The initiative, running in England, Wales and Scotland comes amid growing concern at the level of knife crime in the wake of a series of fatal stabbings.
Police say that from 1 July tough action will be taken on those found armed with knives.
However, some families of victims of knife crime have questioned the effectiveness of an amnesty, calling instead for tougher sentencing.
Last month 15-year-old Kiyan Prince died from a stab wound after being attacked outside his school in Edgware, north London.
And last week Alex Mulumba Kamondo, also 15, died after being knifed through the heart during a street fight in Lambeth, south London.
The English boil their salads, don't they?
This whole thing has been hilarious, absolutely hilarious for us in the UK.
The number of solemn newspaper articles showing policemen posing with enormous multibladed weapons that look like Sci-Fi props with the worried text "This weapon is clearly designed for decapitation, Police warn".
The poor saps are holding Klingon weapons - Bat'leth and Klingon ceremonial daggers. Star Trek Props.
I'm pretty sure that's nearly duplicate of Michigan law.
However, it's made out to be a ban on "knives" and the Brit police have been intentionally quiet about what knives are legal, giving the impression that all knives are illegal.
Is there any sort of incentive for turning these "weapons" in?
Not that I know of. They didn't give me squat for my anti-tank weapon.
Well, the only "legal" pointy thing is the folder less than 3.5 inches- that pretty much leaves everything else I carry in the "illegal" category.
The UK law does not ban knives- it bans anything with a blade or point!
The branch lopper I use to cut the dead palm fronds down with would probably give them fits! It extends to over 12 feet and has a 12 inch saw blade as well as the branch lopper at the end!
Knife amnesty nets 17,700 "weapons"
Weapons ?????
Webster: 'Weapon' --- "something (as a club, knife, or gun) used to injure, defeat, or destroy"
Are all knives, weapons? Aren't knives also used in the UK to cut the butter?
I have a visible graphite deposit just under the skin in my anterior groin fold in the right femoral triangle caused by suddenly sitting in my classroom desk-chair upon the bell in eighth grade; I had forgotten to remove the sharpened #2 pencil from my pants pocket after walking in the classroom.
And now some British doctors want a ban on pointy kitchen knives because ten "respected" chefs they interviewed said that pointy knives are worthless in the kitchen.
At least we didn't have to wait a generation to see the slippery slope...
Have you tried the new Soylent? They say it's soy and lentil. It's an improvement over the HA rations.
(Harry Harrison's Make Room! Make Room!)
Well yano I was at a banquet just last night, and the temporary guest worker who was carving the roast used a long knife without a point, so who needs one? /s
Brit butlers ordered to turn in candlesticks
Gloucestershire police described this knife as "terrifying".
Some of the weapons to be destroyed by the Metropolitan Police.
A collection of 500 ornamental letter openers were handed to Lothian and Borders police.
One of the hundreds of weapons handed in to Kent police.
Rastas required to turn in "blunt" objects...
My roast knife has two points at the tip for serving up the meat ;)
And I use my wife's good Trident knives to open packaging with the point ;)
ROTFLMAO!!
Here are more photographs from the Knife Amnesty program occuring in the United Kingdom as we speak:
You'll notice primarily a nice collection of Swiss Army Knives (SAK), a Leatherman-style multi-tool, and even a set of folding hex wrenches for cryin' out loud. These legislators have really gone around the bend! Some of these liberals are so open-minded that their brains have fallen out of their heads.
~ Blue Jays ~
WHAT! No money or free fish and chips? I guess I'll keep that crummy knife set I got for Christmas. YES I SAID CHRISTMAS!
Good point. The obvious solution to the problem you identify is to enact steak-control legislation, eliminating the need for knives. A slight tax increase will also help the Government hoard all the steak so the citizens won't be tempted to eat newly illegal steak.
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