In the past three months in Ballarat there have been multiple incidents involving knives.

Des Hudson, Ballarat Community Safety Committee chairman, said that it is concerning that in recent times there has been a noticed willingness amongst the public to carry and use knives and commended Victoria Police for quickly bringing alleged offenders before the courts.

Les Twentyman, social worker, called on the City of Ballarat to enact a knife exchange program similar to programs run in Melbourne where weapons were surrendered in return for rewards, such as movie tickets. Mr Twentyman said that the question that needs to be asked is ‘why people are carrying knives in the first place?’

Neale Robinson, Acting Police Inspector, said that weapons amnesties have been previously held in Victoria and that anyone can attend their local police station at any time to surrender a weapon.

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