Police remind public of last day of weapons amnesty
Today is the last day of a month-long weapons amnesty, the Bermuda Police Service has reminded the public.
The surrender opportunity began on November 18 as a proactive approach to removing “dangerous items” in circulation from the community.
Members of the public can drop off weapons and other dangerous articles in the marked surrender bins until the end of the day.
The bins can be found outside the island’s three police stations in Hamilton, Southside and Somerset, as well as at Warwick Camp and the two Gorham’s locations — central and west.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Martin Weekes said: “We encourage all members of the public who have any prohibited or dangerous weapons that they wish to hand in, to do so today at any of the surrender bin locations, where they will be collected and safely disposed of by the BPS.
“Please be reminded that all firearms and ammunition that is to be surrendered must be turned in at a police station and cannot be dropped in the bins, for public safety reasons.
“The BPS wishes to thank all members of the public who have already dropped off one of the many weapons that have been collected from the bins so far.”
Mr Weekes said earlier that under the Criminal Code (Prohibited Weapons) Order 1980, there are 11 items listed as “prohibited” and a further eight are to be added.
“It includes a mix of what is being found here, what we’ve taken off of people here and also where they were taken off people in other jurisdictions,” Mr Weekes said last month.
He added: “It’s the kind of things that we are seeing in those jurisdictions but we want to get ahead of the game and stop the import as well.”
Items that are listed as prohibited and are unlawful to carry in a public place include:
• Finger-ring knife that has one or more blades or sharp objects
• Flick knife or gravity knife, sometimes known as a “kubatan”
• Knife with a fixed blade or a folding knife with a cutting edge more than 3in in width
• Weapon sometimes known as a “manrikigusari” or “kusari” — a length of rope, cord or chain fasted at each end with a weight or hand grip
• Spiked wristband
• Crossbow or catapult
• Weapon sometimes known as a “shuriken” — a hard plate with three or more sharp-edged points, designed to be thrown
• Weapon sometimes called a “constant companion” — belt containing concealed stainless steel knife or similar item
• Weapon known as a “swordstick” — a hollow cane or walking stick containing a metal blade that can be drawn or shot out and used as a sword or knife
• Weapon sometimes called a “yaqua blowgun” and any other tube or pipe from which arrows or darts are shot by breath
• Weapon sometimes known as a “cobra baton” and any other baton having a spring-loaded telescopic steel shaft
Items expected to be added to the prohibited list of weapons:
• Extendable friction lock baton
• Weapon known as a “kubotan” — a keychain-style weapon
• Knife where the blade has a plain cutting edge, a serrated spine and is at least 8in long
• Weapon called a “cyclone knife” or “spiral knife”, where the blade is designed in a spiral
• Weapon sometimes called a “push dagger”, which has a T-shaped handle
• Knife with holes in the blade or the handle large enough to allow fingers to support its use
• Weapon called a “balisong” or “butterfly knife” — a blade with two moving handles
• Disguised knife such as one designed to look like an everyday object
• Knuckle-duster
• Weapon sometimes called a “zombie knife” or “zombie machete”, which has a long blade and usually a serrated cutting edge
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