Dorset Police has joined other forces across England and Wales to take zombie-style knives and machetes off the streets.
A new law comes into force from September 24 making it illegal to own certain styles of ‘zombie’ knives and machetes.
The legislation is aimed at removing specific types of knives from circulation and prohibits the sale and importation of knives which meet the criteria.
Zombie-style knives and Zombie-style machetes are described in law as a bladed article with a plain cutting edge, a sharp pointed end, and a blade of over eight inches in length (in a straight-line distance from the top of the handle to the tip of the blade), which may also have one or more of the following features:
1) A serrated cutting edge
2) More than one hole in the blade
3) Spikes
4) More than two sharp points in the blade
The government scheme, which runs until September 2024, enables owners of zombie-style knives and machete weapons to surrender them.
Anyone surrendering knives that meet the criteria will be eligible for compensation.
Detailed guidance on the kinds of weapons that will become illegal and eligible for surrender and compensation can be found on the government website: https://www.gov.uk/government/
Dorset Police has identified Bournemouth, Weymouth and Poole police stations to receive surrendered weapons and compensation claims from members of the public.
The addresses and opening times for these police stations can be found on the Dorset Police website – https://www.dorset.police.uk/
Superintendent Andrew Bell, knife crime lead for Dorset Police said: “We take knife crime very seriously in Dorset and will continue to educate the public and aim to remove knife crime from the streets.
“This month of surrender builds on the foundation laid by the Offensive Weapons Act 2019, broadening the classification of what is a “zombie style knife” to a more operationally useful definition, which should help officers to identify and seize more weapons that could be used in the commission of violent crime on the streets.
“Possession of banned weapons, even if just in a drawer at home, can mean a prison sentence of more than four years.
“The new law is that any knives over eight inches in length and with one or more serrated edges are now illegal, so, if you own a knife which you think might meet this criteria, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/
Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner, David Sidwick said: “Tackling knife crime in Dorset is a priority and I want to assure residents that work is relentless to ensure our current low rate of knife crime remains that way.
“However, knife crime and the issues which surround it, cannot be solved through policing alone. That’s why surrender schemes such as this, along with robust enforcement, strong partnership work, early intervention and education, and the help of the public, are so vital in our fight to tackle this critical issue and remove dangerous weapons from the streets.
“I welcome any change in the law that will help stop this pernicious crime from taking place; we must work together; we must put the people we serve first and do all we can collectively to stop the illegal use of knives in our society.
“I would strongly encourage anyone in possession of these weapons to surrender them as part of this scheme. It is the responsibility of all of us to ensure young people are clear that carrying a knife only puts them in more danger of getting seriously hurt or even worse. Help us tackle this devastating crime by doing the right thing.”
Guidance and information about the scheme, including how to securely and safely package and transport the weapon to the police station, can be read here.