Knife crime in Brighton targeted with police initiative

The OpSceptre team kicked off the week by engaging the public in open discussions about the impact of knife crime and the laws surrounding it.

PCSO Chapman and Lewis played quiz master in Churchill Square, educating the public on the legal aspects of carrying knives.

Brighton and Hove Police said on Facebook: "Getting the message out across the city about knife crime could not be more important. 

"Our #OpSceptre team started the week as they mean to go on and were busy talking to the public about the impact of knife crime."

They also visited a local university and used it as a starting point to open up even more conversations about knife crime.

Sussex Police say officers are working with young people and reassuring them they are safer not carrying knives as well as using a "specially designed van to engage, inform and educate local communities about the serious risks of knife possession".

In August 2023, it was reported that during Operation Valley, officers made 24 arrests, seized 14 weapons, and conducted 70 stop searches across Sussex.

The operation, aimed at tackling knife crime, included patrols every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday between 2pm and 10pm in identified hotspots.

Particular attention was given to an underpass at King's Road in Brighton, an area infamous for incidents of individuals carrying knives in public, where police disrupted operations.

However, two months later it was reported that a teenage boy in Brighton was tragically stabbed to death, while another teenager was arrested under the suspicion of murder.

An investigation had then been launched to uncover the details of the incident and ensure justice for the victim.

Around the same time, it was mentioned that Sussex had dedicated a project - Operation Safety - specifically to address and reduce knife crime and serious violence incidents, with over 1,200 engagement hours allocated to prevention, education, and rehabilitation activities.