A MAN and a woman have been arrested in Coventry after a suspected scissor attack while more knives have been seized as part of a week-long crackdown.
The pair were arrested on Corporation Street yesterday (March 11) in the city centre at 3pm after a man was allegedly stabbed with scissors.
A man, 27, was arrested on suspicion of wounding after the 55-year-old victim suffered a small puncture wound to his chest.
And the 29-year-old woman was detained on suspicion of assault and theft after a stolen laptop was allegedly found in her handbag.
They remain in police custody.
Coventry Police has launched a major knife crime offensive as part of national campaign, Operation Sceptre, aimed at purging the streets of knives and protecting young people.
The week-long push (between March 11 and 17) will see West Midlands Police target key areas of the city and use police powers to search people they suspect could be carrying a weapon.
Other tactics include weapons sweeps of parks searching for hidden knives, metal-detecting operations in busy public spaces, checks on retailers to ensure they’re not selling knives to children, plus knife arches and educational inputs at secondary schools.
As we reported, yesterday’s activity saw police out in force across Hillfields and the city centre, plus Tile Hill, Willenhall and Binley areas.
Two knives were found hidden in Primrose Hill Park, Hillfields, and three knives, a machete and a hammer in Edgwick Park.
Police also used section 60 stop and search powers to check three people.
Coventry Police superintendent Phil Healy said: “This is a really intensive week of activity with officers across the city working on knife crime initiatives − from schools inputs warning of the dangers of carrying knives to lock-downs, drones operations and monitoring of known knife offenders.
“Knife crime has a devastating impact on young lives, families and communities… and that devastation is something we’ve seen too often in recent months in the city.
“We need to drive out this culture of people feeling comfortable carrying knives or feeling the need to carry knives for protection.
“Violent crime in Coventry, particularly knife crime, has been made a West Midlands Police force priority.
“We can’t arrest our way out of this problem. We need parents to speak to their children − they should know where they are and who they are mixing with − and challenge them if they have suspicions over their behaviour.”
Anyone who suspects knife crime should call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or contact West Midlands Police on 101 or Live Chat at west-midlands.police.uk between 8am to midnight.
