Safer Knife Replacement Scheme
The Kent and Medway Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) are running a Safer Knife Replacement Scheme (SKRS).
Police and partner agencies can offer the SKRS to eligible households or businesses. This will provide them with a pack of four knives or a single 5” rounded-end kitchen knife, alongside safety advice and guidance. This is in exchange for replacing all the pointed knives within the property.
Focus on promoting protective factors linked to the risk of carrying a knife or weapon will be a key part of the scheme swap.
Eligibility for the SKRS will be based on the circumstances of the family home, young person and their family/guardian engagement.
The main referral reason will need to be:
- If the young person has been arrested for a weapon related offence or has information suggesting they are carrying a weapon.
- The young person is coming to the attention of the Police in relation to drug dealing and/or young street group/gang involvement.
- In relation to high risk domestic abuse, this compliments advice provided, it does not replace current safety advice.
The SKRS is also being offered in addition to offence focused prevention-based interventions with families who are engaging with key workers, out of court disposals or statutory services.
This reduces the risk in the home and makes them less attractive to street-based knife crime.
Below you will find more information, the research behind the rounded-end knives and how this scheme is being rolled out in other areas of the country.
do you know a family in need of this scheme?
How to refer into our scheme
If you have read about our scheme and you have a family in mind for an exchange, please contact us and someone will be in contact.
Depending on the circumstances, we can take referrals from commissioned providers and charities.
want to know how to dispose of your knives?
a safe way to dispose of your knives
This guidance provides legal and practical advice on how to safely remove and dispose of domestic knives whilst replacing them with the safer alternative rounded-end knives.
You can find the full guide here
Safer design knives
What makes them different?
The Safer Design Knives have been tested in a controlled environment by Assoc. Professor Leisa Nichols-Drew (BSc MSc NTF CF ChFP PGCertHE DTLLS SFHEA).
They did not penetrate the four fabric types when used in a stabbing motion.
The correlation between the lack of damage caused to the fabric samples when they were struck in a stabbing motion means they are unlikely to cause as much harm to an individual who was stabbed with them than an individual who was stabbed with a knife that has the traditional pointed tip.
On a knife edge: A preliminary investigation of clothing damage using rounded-tip knives
These knives have a blade with a rounded end. On all stab tests, it did not penetrate any of the four garments used in testing, thus no severance damage was produced.
On three garments (knitted cotton, woven cotton, non-woven faux leather), it was evident where the impact site was as a depression had been formed in the fabric. However, the fabric surfaces remained intact. This is a highly significant observation with regards to damage examinations, in which knives are the alleged weapon.
By Leisa Nichols-Drew, Rachel Armitage, Robert Hillman, Kelly J Sheridan and Kevin J Farrugia
College of Policing
Our Safer Knife Replacement Scheme (SKRS) has just made the College of Policing site!
SKRS was launched by us to reduce knife-related serious violence by enabling households to easily dispose of knives and replace them with safer, rounded-end alternatives.
You can find the article on the College of Policing site here
National core group
We created and run the national core group discussing our Safer Knife Replacement Scheme.
We are keen to help others spread the rounded-edge knife message across the UK.
We are joined by other Police forces, local authorities, Viners Knife Manufacturers, retired judges and University experts.
We have even brought it to the attention of His Majesty the King!
Press coverage & "Let's Be Blunt"
Our scheme has just been featured on media such as Good Morning Britain and Greatest Hits Radio. We have been up to the Ben Kinsella conference in Knife Crime Awareness Week.
We have been speaking with Leanne Lucas, one of the survivors from the Southport attack. Leanne is starting up a campaign called "Let's Be Blunt" and is calling for the removal of the pointed end of knives. You can find her campaign here