Thousands of weapons being seized at Scottish courts

Thousands of weapons being seized at Scottish courts

Paisley Sheriff Court
(Photo: Google Street View)

Thousands of weapons are being confiscated at courts in Scotland, The Scotsman reports.

Security staff seized more than 13,000 items at secruity gates last year, among them 1,300 knives and 2,500 other bladed objects, figures from a JPI Media Data investigation reveal.

The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) said the figures demonstrate that their security provisions are working effectively.

A knife crime charity expressed concerns, however, that people are trying to take weapons into court despite the high probability of being caught.

Patrick Green, chief executive of The Ben Kinsella Trust, said: “The figures show that some people still feel the need to intentionally bring a knife to court even when they know that there is a high likelihood that they will be caught.

“Despite this good news, knife-carrying is still a problem and we must continue working to stop the scourge of knife crime.

“We must remain committed to taking knives and those who carry them off our streets and educating our young people about the dangers associated with carrying a knife.”

The greatest number of items were seized at Glasgow Sheriff Court last year, with 3,873 items taken in total.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court came a close second, with 3,476 items seized by its security staff.

At Paisley Sheriff Court, 1,423 items were confiscated.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court saw the highest number of knives seized in 2018, at 415, in addition to 660 bladed or pointed objects.

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