Report the use of knives and weapons

Knives and guns are offensive weapons and it is illegal to carry, sell, hire or make them available to another person.

When reporting the use of knives or weapons, try to provide the suspect’s:

name
address
age
number plate, if a vehicle is involved

If you have the information, tell us where the suspect is concealing the knife or weapon.

You can report someone who frequently carries an offensive weapon, such as a knife:

online – fill in our suspected crime form
in person – visit a police station
by phone – call 101
anonymously to Crimestoppers

Immediate danger

Call 999 immediately if there is an ongoing incident involving a weapon.

Surrender a knife or offensive weapon

Under the Offensive Weapons Act, it is unlawful to possess certain offensive weapons. This includes, but is not limited to, rapid firing rifles and specific types of knives, such as flick knives and zombie knives.

When surrendering a knife or offensive weapon:

make sure items are wrapped in something such as a towel and carried in a bag to prevent injury
consider going in daylight and during office hours when sites are staffed
make a specific journey rather than carry an item for longer than necessary
check opening hours before taking any large items such as swords, as these will not fit into the surrender bins

Surrender a firearm

To surrender a firearm, take it to one of the following police sites:

Surrender a knife

Unwanted knives can be disposed of safely in a surrender bin which are permanently located outside the following police sites:

Permanent knife surrender bins are also located at:

Bristol Crown Court
Bristol Magistrates’ Court
Castle Park, Bristol (near the church, opposite the entrance to The Galleries)
Staple Hill, Broad Street (opposite Page Park)
The Park Centre, Daventry Road, Knowle, BS4 1DQ
Trojan Free Fighters, St Jude’s, BS2 9DA

Bleed control kits

Emergency bleed control kits are located across Avon and Somerset in the event of someone suffering a catastrophic bleed.

They are designed to be easy-to-use and instantly accessible by members of the public and bystanders to use in moments before an ambulance arrives on scene.

In a medical emergency, always dial 999 first and ask for an ambulance.

See bleed kit locations.