Ninja sword amnesty in West Yorkshire in July
West Yorkshire Police are urging anyone with Ninja Swords to hand them in.
It's part of on an amnesty running from next month.
A new legislation is coming in from August that makes it a criminal offence to have one.
They can be handed in here:
Havertop Police Station in Wakefield
Elland Road Police Station in Leeds
Richmond Close Police Station in Calderdale
Trafalgar House Police Station in Bradford
Castlegate Police Station in Kirklees
Chief Inspector James Kitchen of Operation Jemlock, said:
“We welcome this Home Office surrender for ninja swords, and I would urge anyone who legally owns one to take advantage of the scheme and hand them in.
“We have seen cases locally and nationally where these weapons have been used to cause fear and injury. The 2022 murder of 16-year-old Ronan Kanda, in Wolverhampton through the use of ninja sword, particularly illustrates the danger they pose.
“Carrying one of the weapons in public was already a criminal offence punishable by a prison sentence, but the upcoming ban on keeping them in the home will only support us by significantly reducing their availability.”
He added: “The Home Office is paying compensation for each sword handed in, so clearly it is in the interests of owners to do the right thing and dispose of these blades safely with us before it becomes a crime to possess them.
“While West Yorkshire Police is taking part in the national surrender, I do want to reassure residents that if any weapons are handed to us which are linked to crime, we will of course fully investigate and take necessary action.
“During the surrender officers working on Jemlock will also be visiting those who currently sell these weapons to remind them of the new legislation.
“Reducing knife crime remains a priority for West Yorkshire Police and the Violence Reduction Partnership and we fully investigate all incidents of serious violence.”
Alison Lowe OBE is West Yorkshire’s Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime and said:
“Removing these deadly weapons from our communities, whether you are in public or not, is a crucial step towards meeting the ambition of halving knife crime in the next decade.
“With serious violence a top priority of the Mayor’s Police and Crime Plan, I really welcome the tightening of legislation, which supports our prevention and early intervention focus.
“I would urge those who own them to use this opportunity to surrender the swords and help keep West Yorkshire a safe place to live and work.”