Men arrested in Halifax town centre as police seize this dangerous knife and others like it

Knife seized by police in Halifax town centre (Picture West Yorkshire Police)

The blades were seized from a vehicle in Halifax town centre on Sunday.

Two men aged 21 and 18 were arrested on suspicion of possession of a bladed article and public order offences and released under investigation.

The seizure was part of Operation Jemlock.

The initiative started in April when the then Temporary Chief Constable John Robins, QPM, met the Home Secretary in March.

Police forces including West Yorkshire were given greater stop and search powers to tackle the threat of knife crime as well as additional funding. West Yorkshire received £4.02m

Chief Inspector Damon Solley of the Violence Reduction Unit, said: “An important part of #OpJemlock is making arrests in the communities we serve and I am very proud of the work we have done to arrest so many people.

“This work is continuing as well so we can continue to make a real difference – #OpJemlock officers are going into areas working with locally based colleagues to have the maximum impact possible.

“Equally as important, however, is being out in the communities we serve with a highly visible presence, reassuring members of the community and deterring those involved in criminal activity.

#OpJemlock involves officers carrying out proactive, high visibility patrols in key crime areas.

Mark Burns-Williamson, West Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), said: “500 arrests is quite a milestone and sends an unequivocal message that such criminal behaviour in our communities will not be tolerated.

“This robust and intelligence led law enforcement plays a crucial role in the fight against serious violence. I hope our communities are reassured by the results of this operation which is on-going.

"However, to significantly reduce this type of behaviour in the long-term it will require sustained resources and partnership working to intervene and prevent harm from happening in the first place. We are currently developing a violence reduction approach to address some of these longer term issues.

“My thanks and appreciation to all the officers and staff involved for the very real difference they are making in our communities so far with this campaign which will be ongoing."

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