Police and Crime Commissioner Nicolle Ndiweni‑Roberts and Acting Chief Constable Simon Blatchly carried out their first joint walkabout in Derby today, following A/CC Blatchly’s appointment in mid‑May. They spent time meeting neighbourhood policing teams to hear first‑hand about their work with residents, businesses, and community partners to keep Derby safe.
The visit comes during a week marked by several knife‑related incidents. Both the PCC and the Chief Constable thanked frontline officers for their work and noted that arrests have already been made. They also confirmed that additional patrols will be deployed across the Bank Holiday weekend to provide visible reassurance to the public.
PCC Nicolle Ndiweni‑Roberts said: “First and foremost, my thoughts are with the victims and their families, and I pray for their swift recovery.
“We know that such incidents are concerning to the public and our residents. But let me be absolutely clear: for the vast majority of law-abiding people, Derby is our home and we are united in our view that violence has no place in our community. We all want to live, work, study and welcome visitors to a safe and peaceful city.
“I am reassured by the swift arrests and the investigative work that continues into these crimes. However, we all have a role to play in keeping knives off our streets. Carrying a knife is dangerous. It does not protect you – it increases the risk that you will be harmed – and it carries serious consequences.
“I urge anyone with information about any knife crime incident, or who knows someone who may be carrying a knife, to please contact Derbyshire police or, if you wish to remain anonymous, Crimestoppers. We have a collective responsibility to keep knives off our streets and our communities safe.”
Acting Chief Constable Simon Blatchly said: “The incidents in the city have been understandably worrying for our communities and we have had officers out and about on patrol to provide that visible police presence that we know people find reassuring.
“All three incidents were quickly attended and through that swift action we were able to secure arrests of a number of people, with those investigations continuing.
“The carrying and use of a knife is totally unacceptable, and we will always seek to take the strongest possible action against those found in possession of a weapon.
“I want to thank the community for their support in not only the recent incidents, but their continued work to tackle knife crime in our city, and we will carry on working closely with them, as well as our partners, to target this most devastating of crimes.”
The PCC also welcomed the new measures introduced through the Crime and Policing Act, which has now received Royal Assent. The Act strengthens powers to tackle crime and enhance support for victims and communities across Derbyshire.
Key provisions include tougher action against repeat anti-social behaviour offenders, tighter controls on knife sales, stronger sentences for knife‑related offences, and new duties on retailers to report suspicious purchases.
“We must ensure the police have the powers and tools they need to curb illegal activity,” she added. “The Crime and Policing Act strengthens powers of enforcement and provides more effective sanctions for those who continue to break the law.
“Having seen the dedication of our officers and staff today – and with the knowledge that swift arrests have made this week – I am reassured that effective police action is being taken and we are committed to ensuring Derby is a safe city.”
Information can be passed to Derbyshire Constabulary using one of the methods below:
- Website – use the crime reporting tools: https://www.derbyshire.police.uk/
- Facebook – send a private message to the Derbyshire Constabulary Facebook page
- Phone – call 101
You can also anonymously contact the independent charity CrimeStoppers, on 0800 555 111, or by visiting the CrimeStoppers website: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/
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