There are 16 knife bins in towns and cities across our county where you can safely deposit knives and other bladed articles.
They are funded jointly by the VVU, Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner and Essex Police.
The knife bins are available so the public can deposit knives and other weapons safely and are successful in removing thousands of knives from Essex streets, homes and communities every year.
We have a knife bin in every district council area. The full list is below:
- Basildon Police Station, Great Oaks SS14 1EJ
- Braintree Police Station, Blyth’s Meadow CM7 3DJ
- Brentwood Town Hall, Ingrave Road CM15 8AY
- Canvey Island Police Station Long Road, SS8 0JD
- Chelmsford Police Station, New Street CM1 1NF
- Clacton Police Station, Beatrice Road CO15 1ET
- Colchester Police Station, Southway CO3 3BU
- Grays Police Station, Brook Road, RM17 5BX
- Great Dunmow, White Street, CM6 1BD
- Harlow Police Station, The High, CM20 1HG
- Harwich: The Dovercourt and Harwich Hub, 276 High Street CO12 3PD.
- Loughton Police Station, High Road IG10 4BE
- Maldon: Promenade Park Coach and Car Park, Park Drive CM9 5JG
- Rayleigh Police Station, High Street SS6 7QB
- Southend Police Station, Victoria Avenue SS2 6ES
Our approach
Knife bins are just one element of our wider approach to tackling knife crime.
Essex Police’s operational focus includes ‘hotspot’ policing, intelligence-gathering, using knife arches and the Open Gate system, and utilising additional powers such as dispersal orders and Section 60 powers, which are an extension of our regular stop and search activity.
Through the Violence and Vulnerability Partnership we seek to educate people of the danger knives pose and to make them aware that carrying a knife will increase the risk of them or someone else being seriously injured by it, rather than it protecting them.
This work also seeks to divert people involved in, or at risk of being involved in, knife and violent crime or gang membership away from such lifestyles towards sports, education, volunteering and rehabilitation.
Research shows that carrying a knife doesn’t offer protection, in fact it increases the likelihood that an individual might be stabbed. Every time someone leaves a knife in a knife bin, they are making a positive decision to live knife-free, keeping themselves and those around them safe.
