Woolwich town centre gets knife bin after spate of teen stabbings
A council has installed a new knife amnesty bin in its town centre following a spate of fatal stabbings.
The new addition to Woolwich town centre, in Calderwood Street at the junction with Powis Street, brings the number of knife bins in the area up to three, as Greenwich council attempts to tackle knife crime.
People can use the bins to dispose of dangerous weapons anonymously and safely without fear or prosecution.
The knife bins are securely bolted to a concrete base with a letter box design which does not allow people to reach inside.
The two other disposal points in Sutcliffe Park, Meadowside, and Abbey Wood between Eynsham Drive and Finchdale Road, were installed in July 2024.
Since their launch they have been emptied by the council’s partner organisation Word 4 Weapons resulting in 214 knives being taken off the boroughs streets.
Councillor Rachel Taggart-Ryan, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Enforcement, said: “Far too many lives have been taken by knives in Greenwich, and knife crime continues to have a devastating effect on our communities.
“After listening to resident feedback and careful location research, we have installed a third amnesty knife bin in Woolwich, following the success of the bins in Abbey Wood and Eltham.”
On January 7, 14-year-old Kelyan Bokassa was stabbed to death on a route 472 bus in Woolwich Church Road near the junction with the A205 South Circular Road.
Two teenage boys aged 15 and 16 have been charged with Kelyan’s murder. A plea hearing has been set for April 14, and a trial for October 13.
Founder of anti-knife crime charity Project Lifeline Mark Rodney said that Kelyan had laid flowers in memory of another recent victim, Daejaun Campbell, two weeks before his own death.
Daejaun, 15, was fatally stabbed with a zombie-style knife in Eglinton Road, Woolwich on September 22, 2024.
Three teenagers, Jacob Losiewicz, 18, Marko Balaz, 18, and a 17-year-old youth have been charged with Daejaun’s murder.
During Losiewicz’s hearing on September 30, prosecutor William Emlyn Jones KC said Daejaun’s death came amid “tit-for-tat violence with all the hallmarks of a turf war”.
Cllr Taggart-Ryan said: “We urge residents to visit our website to find out more about our ‘Let’s Live #KnifeFree’ campaign, the risks of carrying a knife and the help and local support available.”
You can help prevent knife crime and report information anonymously by visiting Crimestoppers on crimestoppers.org.uk, fearless.org, or by calling 0800 555 111. If you are ever in danger, or need immediate help, always call 999.
Pictured top: The new knife bin in Woolwich town centre, located in Calderwood Street at the junction with Powis Street (Picture: Greenwich council)