Nanette Milne, Conservative MSP for the North East has written to Grampian Police’s Chief Constable, Mr Colin McKerracher to ask for the force to hold a knife amnesty across the North East. The move comes following the successful knife amnesty held by the force in 2006 which saw more than 800 knives and other dangerous weapons handed in to police stations across Grampian during a five-week amnesty.
She said, “Knife crime is a problem which blights too many communities across Scotland. The SNP Scottish Government has failed to take any direct action to address the concerns of the victims of knife crime or deter those who want to carry a knife. This needs to change.
“More than 800 knives and other dangerous weapons were handed in to police stations across Grampian during a five-week amnesty held in 2006. I believe the time has come to hold such an amnesty again and that is why I have written to the Chief Constable of Grampian Police and would like to see the force hold a knife amnesty to remove as many knives from the streets of the North East.
“Among the 12,645 weapons put in 220 bins in police stations across Scotland in 2006 were machetes, swords, meat cleavers, bayonets and axes.
“Scottish Conservatives want to see knife amnesties held across Scotland to help take these dangerous weapons off Scotland’s streets.