Upon focusing on gangs as one of their objective in reducing crime, police have discovered that gang members have been resting their guns and travelling with their knives.

Head of the St Andrew Central police, Superintendent Derrick Knight, told THE STAR that gang members have been carrying mostly knives since an increase in spot checks and raids.

"We have seen a recent trend where men tend to carry knives and leave their guns behind since an increase in stop and search and police raid," said Knight.

The senior cop revealed that police in his division have been taking a very low tolerant level toward people carrying knives and unable to give a suitable reason for having the instrument.

Since last year, the police have seen an increase in murders being committed by knives among other sharp and blunt instruments.

"An average of 10 persons are charged for knives each day within the division," said the senior cop. Most of the knife seizures occurred in the commercial areas of the division.

Although people can be charged for having a knife in their possession, the superintendent said because this was a lesser offence, the accused people were not usually arrested. He said since this discovery, the police have changed from this routine.

"Being charged for an offensive weapon is a minor charge and in most cases the person is charged and the weapon taken away. However, since this trend, the police have started to take away the weapon, charge and arrest the persons," said Knight.