In the week of the second annual instalment of Operation Sceptre, the national police week of action against knife crime, new freedom of information (FoI) data reveals that the initiative overwhelmingly relies on public amnesty bins to recover weapons, casting serious doubt on the effectiveness of stop and search, warrant searches, and weapons sweep tactics in removing knives from the streets.
Across the 21 police forces that responded to FoI requests, 14 provided reliable data. In total, 14,761 knives were recovered during the most recent Operation Sceptre week (19–25 May). Of these, 14,421 (98%) came from amnesty bins, while just 340 (2%) were obtained through all other enforcement methods combined, including stop and search, warrants, customs seizures, and weapon sweeps.
This stark imbalance suggests that the much-publicised enforcement activities of Operation Sceptre play a negligible role in actually removing knives from circulation. Despite police statements highlighting arrests, searches, and patrols, the figures show that the vast majority of knives surrendered during the week are voluntarily handed in by the public through amnesty bins.
Habib Kadiri, StopWatch executive director, said:
If 98% of knives come from amnesty bins, it’s clear where the real impact lies. Operation Sceptre is marketed as a proactive measure to take weapons off the streets, but the data shows the opposite: the knives are being surrendered, not seized.
The findings raise serious questions about the continued use of stop and search as part of the operation. Despite consuming significant police time and resources, the results indicate that such tactics make only a marginal contribution to weapon recovery rates, while disproportionately targeting young people and racialised communities.
StopWatch’s executive director added:
The evidence shows that Operation Sceptre’s enforcement elements are largely symbolic. Rather than spending valuable police hours on low-yield stop and searches, resources should be directed towards proven community-led strategies and prevention initiatives.
Critics argue that the operation’s headline figures give a misleading impression of success, conflating voluntary surrenders with police seizures to present a more effective image. Yet the FoI data tells a different story: one of limited operational impact and misplaced priorities.
Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has persistently cited resource shortages and understaffing for the force’s underperformance, yet His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services found that the force had ‘no crime prevention strategy and no plan to develop one’.
With knife crime remaining a persistent concern, campaigners are urging the Home Office to reassess Operation Sceptre’s methods and funding, focusing instead on long-term, community-based approaches that actually reduce violence rather than rely on publicity-driven enforcement.
Notes to editors
Press release based on FoI data obtained from 21 police forces’ responses across England and Wales on the Operation Sceptre campaign which took place 19-25 May 2025; 16 provided figures for weapons recovered during Operation Sceptre, of which 14 did so in a usable format.
Across those forces, an average of 98% of weapons were recovered via amnesty bins, compared with 2% through all other means. Our spreadsheet with the breakdown of the FOI response data is attached.
Operation Sceptre is a biannual week of action coordinated by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) aimed at tackling knife crime through enforcement and engagement.