Kettering estate crime crackdown sees zombie knife, gold-handled machete, 60cm sword, dagger and combat knife seized

During its first six months, the focused effort by neighbourhood police officers working on the ‘Clear Hold Build’ team across the Highfield Estate in the south of the town has seen knives and weapons recovered.

Led by Sergeant Jay Cheema, the Clear Hold Build team – a ‘multi-agency approach’ – has been used to crackdown on criminal activity and regenerate areas most affected by crime and anti-social behaviour.

He said: “As part of our policing activity on the estate in recent months, we’ve carried out a number of warrants where we’ve acted on information from the public about criminal activity taking place.

“Drug dealing and serious violence – which are often linked – were priorities that local people told us they wanted us to focus on, and these warrants as well as both high visibility and covert patrols, have been a key part of our proactive work to target and disrupt the activities of those committing these crimes.

“As well recovering large quantities of drugs, this enforcement activity has also seen multiple weapons seized and taken off the streets, which in turn has made the estate, and the town, a safer place to live.”

“Community support has been absolutely crucial. The public are our eyes and ears in the community, and I’d like to thank residents of the Highfield estate for their support and for trusting us with their information.

“We will continue act on the intelligence we receive, and look forward continuing to work with the local people and our partner agencies to further reduce crime and help build a better, safer community for all.”

To tackle drug dealing, serious violence and anti-social behaviour officers have been carrying out enforcement activity as part of the ‘clear’ phase, which aims to conduct operations to arrest offenders and disrupt their activities.

Officers recovered multiple knives and weapons following arrests made during proactive patrols and warrants carried out at addresses across the Highfield estate. Among the weapons seized were a 30cm curved sword, a 60cm sword, a 30cm zombie knife, a dagger, a zombie-style knife, a combat knife, a flick knife and a machete.

It is now illegal to be in possession of a zombie knife or ninja sword and members of the public are being encouraged to hand them in or face the risk of being convicted of knife crime offences.

Members of the public can dispose of knives at the knife box outside Kettering’s Salvation Army Citadel in Rockingham Road.

Local officers will be holding a community surgery on the estate on Friday, September 26, from 5.30pm to 7.30pm, in Highfield Crescent. They'll be there with the Neighbourhood Beat Bus and residents are invited to go along to get crime prevention advice and chat with officers about any concerns they have about crime or anti-social behaviour in their local area.