City MP Stephen Morgan has praised Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Operation Sceptre, a national knife crime week of action that ran from 17 to 23 November 2025.
Lead by the National Police Chief Council (NPCC), this operation aimed to remove dangerous weapons off the streets, and to reduce and prevent serious violence within our communities.
Across Hampshire, serious offences involving a knife have reduced from 1,035 offences (year ending June 2024) to 936 offences (year ending June 2025). The Force is committed to continuing to reduce knife crime, and this week of action was dedicated to further intensifying efforts through education, prevention and enforcement to further reduce offending.
A range of targeted operations were coordinated throughout the week alongside partners to engage with young people and the community, to educate and bust myths, and to prevent knife crime.
The Force collaborated with the Violence Reduction Unit, local authorities, education, and community services to ensure tackling knife crime and its root causes are addressed to prevent future offending and protecting communities from harm.
Welcoming the launch of Operation Sceptre, Stephen Morgan, Member of Parliament for Portsmouth South, said:
“I know constituents will recognise the seriousness in which I take the need to address knife crime in our communities. Which is why I welcome initiatives such as Operation Sceptre and why this government has acted from day one and without delay to address knife crime across our country.
“Its time everyone in society took responsibility for bringing the knife crime to an end. This won’t happen overnight, but I know Ministers will not take their feet off the gas.
“In Parliament I am proud to support wider efforts of ridding our streets of dangerous weapons, cracking down on online sales and investing in young futures to steer young people away from crime in the first place. I will continue to work with the police and others to make this a reality here in Portsmouth”.
Inspector James Barton, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary’s tactical lead for knife crime, added:
“Knife crime is devastating for all the lives and communities it impacts. It’s a top priority for our Force to tackle knife crime and serious violence, our efforts over the last year have seen a positive reduction in knife-related offences within Hampshire and the Isle of Wight as a direct result.
“We can’t be complacent. There is plenty more work to be done and that is why we support this week of action and will be intensifying our prevention and engagement work across all districts to make our communities safer and to build brighter futures for young people, alongside our neighbourhood enforcement and proactive activity against knife carriers and offending.
“It is not possible for policing to address the complex issue of knife crime alone and so we’re working closely with our partners to have a multipronged approach to continue reducing knife-related violence.
“Sceptre is not just about enforcement where we seize knives and make arrests, but it’s also about education and prevention to get to the root causes and break the cycle of violence. We know it can be worrying to hear about people being injured or killed by knives but carrying a knife yourself doesn’t make you any safer but puts you at greater risk of harm.
“The reality is that very few people carry knives but if someone you know is carrying a knife or involved in serious violence, you can report it to the police, speak to a trusted family member or teacher, or you can report it anonymously to Crimestoppers and Fearless. Every knife taken off the streets is a potential life saved.”
The public will have observed or experienced the following activity during Operation Sceptre:
- High visibility patrols, particularly in hotspot locations and targeting repeat offenders
- Conducting weapon sweeps for hidden or discarded knives
- Checking in on retails to ensure they are complying with age-restricted sales laws
- School and youth club engagement to educate, prevent knife crime and build trust with young people
- Knife surrender bins to provide safe and anonymous disposal options
- Staffing knife arches to detect and deter people from carrying knives
- Community engagement to provide reassurance and to raise awareness
Advice to constituents:
- Support is available through the charity The Ben Kinsella Trust.
- If there are areas where you live or spend time that don’t feel safe you can report this anonymously via StreetSafe. The information is given to your local police force who can then look at what they can do to improve safety in that area.
- Contact Crimestoppers or Fearless 100% anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their website. Call the police on 101 or their website. Always call 999 in an emergency.
