THE knife amnesty launched by Guernsey Police has received the backing of a key youth worker. ‘I’m fully supportive of anything that’s going to keep people more comfortable on the streets,’ said officer in charge of the Guernsey Attendance Centre Colin Fallaize.

‘It’s an opportunity for people to look at themselves and wonder why they need to carry a knife in the first place.’

Mr Fallaize, who runs the centre to which young offenders are sent to consider whether a life of crime is for them, said that very often people carried knives because they felt vulnerable – perhaps because of drugs, or the people with whom they were involved.

Since the amnesty was launched a week ago, 45 blades have been handed in.

‘We’re really surprised at the number so far,’ said Sergeant Clare Bonsall.

‘We’re appealing to anyone else who has knives to hand them in by the deadline.

‘It shows that people want to do the right thing and that they’re thinking about the consequences of carrying knives.’

Sgt Bonsall said that in the last 12 months there had been 10 incidents – some of them domestic – of people being threatened with a blade and two where knives had been used to harm.

But Mr Fallaize was philosophical.

‘I don’t think we’ll ever get rid of the causes behind knife culture,’ he said.

‘But we hope that we can reduce the chances of people carrying knives in the first place, such as building young people’s self-esteem so they don’t have to resort to other methods to prove themselves.

‘There seems to be a need for young people to protect themselves and it’s clear that with knives, some people’s lives have taken a disastrous course.’

Mr Fallaize added that it was never just the people directly involved who were affected by knife crime.

‘You can’t begin to understand the feelings of families affected but we must also be aware of the families of the attackers and not just the victims.

‘A knife is no solution. Carrying a knife is often something people are scared into doing.’

And Mr Fallaize said that he thought that media coverage of knife culture made the public increasingly aware.

‘Unfortunately people think there’s still a need to carry a weapon,’ said Mr Fallaize.

‘But there are no heroes at the end of a blade,’ he said.

‘A campaign like this makes people sit up and think.’

* Knives to be deposited should be wrapped in cardboard and secured with tape, rendering them unusable whilst being transported to one of the four deposit bins at Guernsey Police Station, Checkers Xpress, Cobo, Co-op on the Bridge and Co-op at St Martin’s. Police remind the public that it is a criminal offence for individuals to possess a knife when not in the process of surrendering it.

* The amnesty will run until Wednesday 5 September.