"Our ‘lives not knives’ campaign
Officers on a knife crime operation in Leicester City Centre on Saturday night (2nd February) have recovered seven knives and arrested six people.
The operation saw neighbourhood officers working with response officers and CCTV operators to tackle a recent increase in robberies around the market place in the city centre.
Officers carried out intelligence led high visibility patrols, used their stop search powers and the knife arch was placed outside a city centre nightclub.
Officers made six arrests; three 16 year old men from Leicester and a 17 year old man were arrested on suspicion of possession of a weapon and released on conditional bail.
Another 17 year old man from Leicester was arrested on suspicion of robbery but released no further action.
A sixth person, 25 year old Rahsaan Harris of Berberis Close in Leicester, was charged with possession of a bladed article in a public place and possession of a Class B controlled drug.
He was released on unconditional bail to attend Leicester Magistrates Court on Thursday 28 February 2019.
Inspector Manjit Atwal, Commander of the City Centre Neighbourhood Policing Area said; “Saturday night’s operation was a great example of the benefits of pulling together to achieve one goal. I am really pleased that we have taken six nasty weapons off our streets and made a significant number of arrests and I hope this sends out a message to others that if you carry a knife into the city centre you stand a high chance of being stopped and searched.
"Our ‘lives not knives’ campaign is designed to drive home the message that carrying a knife can have devastating consequences and if you are caught carrying a knife you could end up in prison. Hopefully Saturday’s operation will make others think twice before carrying a knife. We will be doing more operations like this in the near future.”
Anyone walking through city or town centres is advised to take some simple precautions to keep themselves and their property safe;
Walk with other people/friends wherever possible
Walk in well-lit areas
Don’t use your phone in the street and don’t put it in a pocket where it is obvious to see.
Be aware of your surroundings
Register all of your personal property at www.immobilise.com - the UK
National Property Register.
For important information and advice on knife crime, please
https://leics.police.uk/categories/_knife-crime