Havering Green Party Member’s Litter Pick Discovers Large Knife, But Just How Difficult Is It To Dispose Of A Knife In Havering?

Despite lack of resources across the board, together Havering Police, Council Enforcement Teams and third sector organisations have attempted to get to the root causes of knife crime and reduce both carrying and harm in Havering. Yet, simply wanting to dispose of a knife seems far too difficult, says Mark Whiley, Coordinator for Barking, Dagenham and Havering Green Party.

I’ve never led a Gidea Park Wombles session quite like it. We’re used to finding Nitrous Oxide canisters and starting each session with the quip, “If you find any faeces, dog or human, don’t pick it up. Take a picture for your personal collection, and of course to report it to the council.” Instead we found a couple of petrol canisters, probably stolen work tools and work wear, and a 40cm long knife.
On the phone to non-emergency 101, I was asked if I could wrap the knife up and take it to Romford Police Station. Until some months ago, you could allegedly drop knives off at that station. After finding suitable wrapping material and walking to the station, I then waited an hour with the knife in the public area to be seen. The officer was absolutely rushed off his feet. When he was able to see me, I was told that I needed to go to Dagenham. The conversation verbatim:
“How?” I asked. “I don’t have a car and I—”“—am carrying a large knife?”“Oh, just get on the train. District Line I think?”

While contemplating how I’d need to get to Elm Park first, and whether the Police might travel to Dagenham themselves today, I recalled that Havering Council’s social media had suggested a new knife bin had been installed in Harold Hill. One officer and two PCSOs didn’t know of it, but I carefully put the wrapped knife into my backpack, and got the bus to Central Park where it was disposed off.
I later called back 101 to see if the misinformation and lack of information could be corrected for the future, but apparently I was “talking to the wrong person” now and their template advice could be updated.

In my case, at least I had the will to persevere and get that knife off the streets. What if I had purchased the knife for use and wasn’t so certain if I should give it away? What if my demeanour, my attitude, had changed at the point where I was with that knife in public?
I understand that there’s mixed evidence on whether knife bins work to get a significant number of weapons off of the streets. PCSOs told me that former knife bins had been removed as the public stuffed them with kitchen cutlery – thank you for having a weapon bin removed from the streets. What we cannot have is the absence of a clear process, and convenient, safe places to dispose of them.

Further challenges: Funding cuts risk police counters in Barking and Dagenham
In the last week, we’ve learned of the potential closure of police counters in Barking and Dagenham. I understand from talking with Police in Essex that being in a car on the move is easier to get to live situations than being in a stationary place or being on foot, but the public need greater accessibility to report crime in East London, a bricks and mortar location, not less.

Yet another thought from this experience was that Dagenham may soon lose a police counter, but could it also lose the knife bin on station property? I have asked the Dagenham and Rainham MP to enquire, because we must not have a situation where the only place to deposit a knife safely across two boroughs is in the far north-east corner of Havering.

Thank you for trying to keep our communities safe

To the organisations working on this issue, I commend you. None of this is intended as a slight on your work. It is a deeply challenging financial climate, resources are tight, and evidence from other cities has shown that sustained preventative work is the best way to reduce knife crime in the long term. Like many others in the borough, I want our communities to be safe, and for young people—who are often affected, the majority as victims or in fear of those carrying—to thrive.

Mark Whiley outside Romford Police Station.

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