Police and Crime Commissioner for West Yorkshire | WYPCC

Operation Sceptre supported to tackle knife crime

20th November 2020

West Yorkshire Police supported a national operation last week as part of ongoing efforts to tackle knife crime.

Operation Sceptre started on Monday 9 November with police forces across the country carrying out intensified efforts and operations.

West Yorkshire Police has its own Operation Jemlock which has been running since April 2019 and has seen thousands of arrests made and hundreds of weapons seized.

Jemlock was set up to combat serious violence including knife crime,

And to support Operation Sceptre, the Jemlock team made 89 arrests and seized various weapons across West Yorkshire.

The arrests and seizures were part of the ongoing work by Operation Jemlock.

Chief Inspector Pete Hall from Operation Jemlock, said:

“Operation Sceptre is something we have supported previously and did so again last week.

“It is part of our ongoing efforts to tackle serious violence including knife crime and is helping to make a real difference to the communities of West Yorkshire.

“I am proud of the efforts of the team in helping to tackle serious violence and knife crime in West Yorkshire.”

As part of Sceptre the team visited addresses across the county after reports of knives possibly being imported to the UK

Mark Burns-Williamson, West Yorkshire's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) said: “This week of action, and other ongoing work to tackle serious violence, is so important to keep our communities feeling safe and get weapons off the streets.

"It is ultimately only through early intervention and prevention work that we will be able to most effectively deal with the scourge of knife and violent crime in our communities. Policing and law enforcement have a key role which this week hugely demonstrates, but as partners we have to intervene earlier where necessary, to ensure we are providing positive alternatives and opportunities to those who are at risk and vulnerable to being targeted and drawn into violent crime.

"The dedicated Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) for West Yorkshire is doing vital work identifying the drivers of serious violence locally and developing a coordinated and targeted response to tackle them in the areas that need it most."