Found A Knife

[Doofus]

Walking the dog this morning, I found an 8" kitchen knife hidden under a tree. Called 112 (meant to call 101, but I don't call the police very often, so used the wrong number)

Call Handler: Has it got blood on it?
Me: I don't know. I haven't touched it.
CH: Can you pick it up and check?
Me: Ok. No, it doesn't appear to have any blood on it.
CH: Right. Could you stick it in the bin please?
Me: WTF?

I did as I was asked (I wasn't going to continue my dog walk whilst carrying it, and I was only wearing shorts and a t-shirt, so had nowhere to 'hide' it), but it doesn't feel quite right to me.

[ApOrbital]

I would take it to the police your prints are on it now.

[Adenauer]

Doofus, I don't think the police are going to buy this thread as a cast iron alibi. Good try though.

[Doofus]

ApOrbital said:

I would take it to the police your prints are on it now.

No they're not. My username may have misled you.

[italianjob1275]

Delivered to a rough estate in Northampton once (one of these places where they have a grant to “improve the community” by putting some block paving down and planting some trees)

Before I could unload the guys on site had to pick up one of those “zombie knives” they had plastic tube things to keep them in. The manager said they found about 6 a week and the police would pick them up on a weekly basis.

[beambeam1]

Zombie knives - absolutely horrific things. Anyone caught in possession of one should be dealt with severely.

OP, was there indication that the police would later fetch it or anything? I think I would probably have taken some photos of it to identify later exactly where it was found and how it looked. However, if there were no recent incidents and no blood on it I can see why you may be advised to just bin it - could well have been launched when someone thought they were about to be caught in possession or something.

[LosingGrip]

What were you expecting OP?

Any knifes I’ve found on duty and stuck in a bin and disposed off. Only time it’s not is if it’s possibly linked to a crime.

No need for a police officer to come out and stick it in the bin.

[Doofus]

LosingGrip said:

What were you expecting OP?

It was safer hidden under the tree than in a bin.

[23.7]

Doofus said:

LosingGrip said:

What were you expecting OP?

It was safer hidden under the tree than in a bin.

It was hidden for a reason, stake out the tree.

Visiting Coventry they were using a bottle bank arrangement for thier knives amnesty. I suppose it makes it more difficult to retrieve.

I did wonder though, why people didn't just pop them back in the kitchen drawer.

Edited by 23.7 on Wednesday 25th August 08:14

[Spare tyre]

23.7 said:

Doofus said:

LosingGrip said:

What were you expecting OP?

It was safer hidden under the tree than in a bin.

It was hidden for a reason, stake out the tree.

Visiting Coventry they were using a bottle bank arrangement for thier knives amnesty. I suppose it makes it more difficult to retrieve.

I did wonder though, why people didn't just pop them back in the kitchen drawer.

Edited by 23.7 on Wednesday 25th August 08:14

I’ve always wondered this as well, surely middle of wheelie bin wrapped in a towel is much easier that heading across town for an amnesty

[colin79666]

We found a kitchen knife by the side of the road years ago. Called the local station when we got home (left the knife in situ and this was the days before mobiles). Within an hour the local plod were round to our house to take the details and then went straight off to retrieve it. Didn’t hear anything further so guess it wasn’t linked to a recent murder but they certainly responded.

[Greendubber]

OP,

People leave knives hidden as it means they're not carrying it when the police stop them. We have to do regular weapon sweeps in areas of high gang violence areas. Found a spear the other week and a shotgun a few month's back.

I get why you want the police to collect it and you've done the right thing. In an ideal world it would be collected quickly and checked to see if it had been used/linked to any incidents. Sadly that doesn't happen as call handlers are encouraged to avoid sending resources to anything (which is another bone of contention)

The advice for simply binning it would hopefully come after someone checking there wasn't a murder around the corner though....


It's not ideal but it's what we have sadly but like I said, you did the right thing.

[Doofus]

Greendubber said:

OP,

People leave knives hidden as it means they're not carrying it when the police stop them. We have to do regular weapon sweeps in areas of high gang violence areas. Found a spear the other week and a shotgun a few month's back.

I get why you want the police to collect it and you've done the right thing. In an ideal world it would be collected quickly and checked to see if it had been used/linked to any incidents. Sadly that doesn't happen as call handlers are encouraged to avoid sending resources to anything (which is another bone of contention)

The advice for simply binning it would hopefully come after someone checking there wasn't a murder around the corner though....


It's not ideal but it's what we have sadly but like I said, you did the right thing.

I was never going to just leave it there and, as I said, I wasn't comfortable carrying it very far for fear of being shot by an over-zealous copper. I just felt sticking it in a public litter bin wasn't much of a solution.

[Donbot]

I would have just kept it if it was usable.

[Greendubber]

Doofus said:

Greendubber said:

OP,

People leave knives hidden as it means they're not carrying it when the police stop them. We have to do regular weapon sweeps in areas of high gang violence areas. Found a spear the other week and a shotgun a few month's back.

I get why you want the police to collect it and you've done the right thing. In an ideal world it would be collected quickly and checked to see if it had been used/linked to any incidents. Sadly that doesn't happen as call handlers are encouraged to avoid sending resources to anything (which is another bone of contention)

The advice for simply binning it would hopefully come after someone checking there wasn't a murder around the corner though....


It's not ideal but it's what we have sadly but like I said, you did the right thing.

I was never going to just leave it there and, as I said, I wasn't comfortable carrying it very far for fear of being shot by an over-zealous copper. I just felt sticking it in a public litter bin wasn't much of a solution.

Chances of being shot= zero

[Doofus]

Greendubber said:

Chances of being shot= zero

Tell that to that bloke several years ago who had a table leg in a bag.

[46and2]

I feel sorry for the poor council worker about to stab themselves while changing the bag in the bin.

[Greendubber]

Doofus said:

Greendubber said:

Chances of being shot= zero

Tell that to that bloke several years ago who had a table leg in a bag.

Again, chances of being shot = zero

[Doofus]

46and2 said:

I feel sorry for the poor council worker about to stab themselves while changing the bag in the bin.

Exactly.

[Electro1980]

Doofus said:

46and2 said:

I feel sorry for the poor council worker about to stab themselves while changing the bag in the bin.

Exactly.

That’s why they wear Kevlar gloves and trousers. Knives are not much of a hazard as they are big and not that sharp compared to glass and needles, which is what they normally encounter.