The equipment was set up for passengers leaving the railway station last Friday (November 17) as part of Sussex Police’s Operation Sceptre project.
The knife arch scanned people as they walked through it to detect any weapons being carried.
But a spokeswoman for the force said that “while we can ask individuals to walk through a knife arch, it is not compulsory.
“We can use existing powers to stop and search people for weapons where we have reasonable grounds to do so.”
The force said that knife arches are deployed at locations and times based on intelligence to ensure they are used most effectively and would not reveal if there are upcoming plans for their use.
A previous knife arch at Brighton Station (Image: The Argus)
Police use them in locations such as nightclubs, railway stations, schools and other events “where they are required, in conjunction with a range of other tactics to help us spot suspicious behaviour or anything that requires further investigation”.
“This tactical, intelligence-led deployment is currently considered the be the most effective use of knife arches, as opposed to permanent installations,” said the spokeswoman.
Police said that they did not find weapons at the railway station but did engage with people and offer knife prevention advice.
READ MORE: The Argus launches its Cut Knife Crime campaign
Operation Sceptre takes place twice a year and is a week-long effort by Sussex Police to tackle knife crime.
It coincides this time with The Argus’s Cut Knife crime campaign which launched on Monday (November 20).
- But what tangible changes do we hope to achieve with the Cut Knife Crime campaign?
- Our mission is to cut knife crimes and the number of people being injured and killed in stabbings through:
- Increasing the use of knife amnesty bins.
- Educating young people about knife crime and making them aware of the effects it has on not just the victim, but those around them.
- Having more bleed control kits in pubs, shops and businesses.
The Cut Knife Crime campaign is being backed by celebrities, politicians and community leaders – and we want everyone to come together in a bid to end the misery caused by knives.
If you can host a bleed control pack in your business or support our campaign in any way contact campaigns@theargus.co.uk.
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