Surrender bins are permanent fixtures in Shirley, Thornhill, & the City

Southampton City Council is supporting a national campaign to tackle knife crime that starts today.

Sceptre, which lasts until Sunday 23 November 2025, is coordinated by the National Police Chiefs' Council and aims to raise awareness of knife crime by increasing police efforts to detect, reduce and prevent it.

A variety of community engagement activities are planned. These include knife sweeps, uniform patrols, and visits to youth groups.

It is also a chance to encourage more people to surrender any knives they have, which could be used as a weapon, in a surrender bin. The contents are then safely disposed of by the police. 

The bins are permanent fixtures located at:

• Shirley: Redcar Street, next to the library by Shirley precinct car park.
• Thornhill: Warburton Road.
• City: Sussex Road next to Palmerston Park.

Southampton City Council is part of the Safe City Partnership, which is a multi-agency collaboration that addresses knife crime and other serious issues in Southampton.

In Hampshire, serious offences involving a knife have reduced from 1,035 offences (year ending June 2024) to 936 offences (year ending June 2025). Since 2024, the police have disposed of 1,669 knives.

During this week, a range of activities will be taking place to engage with young people and the community, to educate and bust myths, and to prevent knife crime. 

Southampton City Council will be working in partnership with Hampshire Constabulary, the Violence Reduction Unit, education, and community services to ensure tackling knife crime and its root causes are addressed to prevent future offending and protecting communities from harm.

This week, there will be:

• additional high visibility police patrols.
• teams working with educational settings and youth groups to educate young people on the dangers and consequences of knife crime. This includes encouraging young people to take part in constructive activities in places that are safe and supported by trusted adults. 
• teams working with local and chain retailers to ensure compliance with age-restricted sales laws.
• knife sweeps for hidden or discarded weapons.

Councillor Toqeer Kataria, Cabinet Member for Communities & Safer City at Southampton City Council, said:

“I’m pleased that 1,669 knives have been disposed of safely. We will continue to work together to reduce the accessibility of these weapons, so they don’t get into the wrong hands.

We are committed to making Southampton a safer place for everyone and working with partners is a key part of our work to tackle knife crime as policing cannot do this alone.”

Who to call

You can contact Hampshire Constabulary by calling 101 and asking for the local Neighbourhood Team. In an emergency, always call 999.
Anonymous reporting is available through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit www.crimestoppers-uk.org
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.