Good afternoon Resident,

I hope you have had a lovely weekend. Welcome to week 11 of this A-Z of Crime Prevention Advice newsletter. As mentioned last week, this week I want to discuss Knife Crime. 

As I’m sure many readers will agree, Knife Crime is a worrying phenomenon which receives a lot of media attention due to the harm it causes and the horrific injuries which can result during incidents involving a knife or blade. Knife crime can often be associated with gang culture and disproportionately affects young people.

We are glad that knife crime incidents are low in St Albans compared to the national average, however the Police deal with knife-related incidents involving under 18 buying/selling of knives and carrying a knife or bladed object in a public place – both of which are criminal offences. Thank you to those who sent in questions relating to knife crime. The most commonly asked question is whether it is legal or illegal to possess certain types of knives. The short answer is that it is legal to carry a blade less than 3 inches in length and is a manual folding blade, a person over the age of 16 can purchase this knife. Anything in excess of this, or any knife which locks open cannot be carried in public. There are some banned or prohibited weapons which are illegal to own (even in your own household) such as butterfly knives, disguised knives, and zombie lives. If you own a knife which you believe is illegal, please inform us so it can be collected and disposed of. 

You can read more about knives and weapons on the Crimestoppers website by clicking here: Understanding knife crime: information and resources | Crimestoppers. If you have any questions for your local Neighbourhood Policing Team, or any concerns about knife crime in your own neighbourhood, please respond to this message and we will be in touch with you as soon as possible. 

If you have time and haven’t yet done so already, please click on the following survey to provide feedback to community policing in your area!

Please click here to complete the survey

Thank you for your ongoing engagement! 

Kind regards

Fiona