New weapon surrender bin installed to support the fight against knife crime

A new weapon surrender bin has been installed in Derby as part of a united effort to prevent knife crime and violence.

Funded by Police and Crime Commissioner Nicolle Ndiweni-Roberts through Serious Violence Duty funding, which is aimed at supporting partnership approaches to tackling serious violence, the secure container has been installed outside the Tesco Express in Sinfin, Derby, on land owned by Derby City Council.

People can use the bin to safely and anonymously dispose of a knife, blade or other weapon which would be later removed and melted down. The bin has been designed to offer maximum security and safety and aims to reduce the availability of weapons in the local environment before they can be used to cause fear, alarm or harm.

It is the first time in Derbyshire a weapon surrender bin has not been located at a police station. Existing bins are already installed at St Mary’s Wharf Police Station in Derby and Buxton and Chesterfield Police Stations.

The last two nationally led Operation Sceptre intensification weeks saw almost 1,500 knives surrendered across Derbyshire in total. This is in addition to knives surrendered throughout the year at the three police enquiry offices. This is showing us that the public are using them to safely dispose of knives.

UK knife surrender schemes consistently demonstrate that large numbers of knives and weapons are handed in when secure, anonymous bins are provided.

The project, led by the Derby and Derbyshire Violence Reduction Unit, is part of a suite of interventions being funded by the Derby and Derbyshire Serious Violence Board to tackle the underlying causes of serious violence and knife crime.

While the knife surrender bin is a visible sign of our commitment to tackling serious violence, it is only one part of a much wider programme funded through the Serious Violence Duty.

Partners across Derbyshire are delivering a range of prevention and early intervention initiatives. These include mentoring for vulnerable young people, support to reduce school exclusions, virtual reality programmes that highlight the consequences of knife crime, outreach youth work, and bystander training. We also fund specialist support for care leavers, community-based violence prevention projects, trauma-informed services, and targeted work with those most at risk of becoming victims or offenders.

Together, these initiatives reflect a coordinated public health approach to tackling serious violence. They address the root causes of offending, help build safer communities, and seek to prevent violence before it happens.

Serious Violence including Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) is one of six key priorities in the PCC’s Police and Crime Plan, shaped by thousands of residents and businesses across Derbyshire.

The Plan sets out a series of commitments to prevent young people from being drawn into serious violence including developing joint approaches to crack down on knife crime throughout Derby and Derbyshire and proactively targeting activity based 

Police and Crime Commissioner Nicolle Ndiweni-Roberts said: “Knife crime remains one of the most serious challenges facing our communities and it is not an issue that will disappear overnight.

“This surrender bin provides residents with a safe and accessible way to dispose of sharp objects, knives and other bladed weapons that could cause devastating harm if they fall into the wrong hands. Every weapon removed from our streets is one less weapon that could be used to cause injury or tragedy, making this investment invaluable.

“Tackling knife crime requires all of us to play our part and I’m pleased to be working in partnership with Derby City Council and the force to do so.  I hope this bin is used to remove knives from circulation and reduce the risk of them being used in acts of violence.

“It complements the work already taking place locally and nationally to prevent young people from obtaining knives and weapons in the first place. If the scheme proves successful, we will look at introducing more surrender bins across the area.

“Knife-related incidents leave a deep and lasting impact on communities. Alongside robust enforcement, we remain committed to challenging the culture of violence, changing behaviours and providing young people and adults with positive alternatives that can help build safer futures.

“I would urge anyone who has information regarding someone carrying a knife to either report it to their local police or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or online.”

David Robinson, Programme Manager for the Violence Reduction Unit, said: "A permanent knife been has been something we've been working on for some time now, given the successes we have seen in other counties.

"It gives people a safe and anonymous way to dispose of their unwanted knives and keep them out of the wrong hands, without having to go to a police station.

"We're grateful for the ongoing support of our partners, especially in Sinfin, where we have managed to secure the first bin of it's kind in Derbyshire"

Local Policing Inspector for Derby East Ben Wildman said: "Prevention is key to the work we do in our local communities around knife crime and serious violence, and having a permanent knife bin, we feel, is a great addition to the work ongoing.

"Depositing unwanted knives in a secure bin, which you can do anonymously, is something we know people find useful from the Op Sceptre weeks of action. 

"It's just one of the ways we're working to keep knives off the streets and out of the wrong hands, so we're really pleased to have seen this over the line in Sinfin."

Councillor Sarah Chambers, Derby City Council Cabinet Member for Communities, Equalities and Public Safety, said: “Keeping our communities safe is our highest priority. The knife deposit bin provides a safe, secure and anonymous way for people to dispose of knives and other weapons, giving individuals the opportunity to make the right choice.

“This initiative forms part of our wider partnership with Derbyshire Police, the Police and Crime Commissioner, and other key partners to tackle knife crime and serious and organised crime in the city. By combining enforcement with prevention and early intervention, we are working together to help ensure that our communities remain as safe as possible.”

Home Office funded surrender arrangements in 2025 resulted in nearly 60,000 knives and weapons being handed in or seized across England and Wales through police operations and dedicated national surrender schemes.

This government stands firm on its mission to halve knife crime within a decade.

The investment has been awarded as part of the Government’s Serious Violence Duty and supports collaborative work already underway to tackle serious violence.

The multi-agency Derby and Derbyshire Serious Violence Board, which works with the PCC to tackle some of the most serious types of harm including knife crime, possession of weapons and serious injuries and deaths caused by acts of violence, has approved grants for several providers across the City and County.

 
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