Greater Manchester Police (GMP) have conducted knife searches in Swinton as part of a national week of “intensification” tackling knife crime.

Patrol officers from GMP’s North East Neighbourhood Team conducted a “pro-active” knife search along Destructor road in Swinton yesterday morning (14th November).

The move comes as part of Operation Sceptre, a national week focussing on tackling knife crime as well as highlighting the risks and consequences of carrying weapons.

Operation Sceptre links closely with GMP’s longer-term initiatives aimed at reducing knife crime and serious youth violence – such as operations Sycamore, Concept and the Forever Amnesty.

These initiatives have seen over 10,000 weapons seized across Greater Manchester since 2019.

Superintendent Caroline Hemingway, GMP’s knife crime lead, said: “The impact that knife crime has is truly devastating and affects everyone – from individuals and families to our communities.

“Sadly we have seen a number of recent incidents where young people have lost their lives due to knife crime. In an instant, many lives have been affected due to the careless actions and thoughts of a few.

“Intensification weeks such as Operation Sceptre see us working alongside our partners and focusing our resources accordingly, however our commitment to tackling knife crime is a priority throughout the year. We will not stop until our communities feel safe where they live without fear of being threatened or feel vulnerable due to the actions of others.


“We are committed to proactively targeting knife crime hotspots within the community using stop search – where appropriate, weapons sweeps, knife arches, and covert and overt policing deployments, and investigative work to target those involved with knife crime.

To find out more about the Violence Reduction Unit, visit their website.

To report an incident to GMP, please call the Police on 101 or talk to us via LiveChat at the GMP website. Reports and concerns can also be made anonymously through CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111.

If you carry a knife or weapon, GMP urge you to surrender it at one of their 13 Forever Amnesty bins located across Greater Manchester. You can find the location of your nearest bin here.

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