28.5.12 Knives and Probate

What a strange world we live in.  It seems that it's not enough to rely on the law making it an offence to carry a weapon, and that extra advice is needed for people who form the knife-carrying community, ahead of their visits to a Registry office.  In the helpful advice notes that came with some probate information, I have a small flyer that is headed "Knives" and some advice has been provided.  It goes like this -

If you bring a knife with you to this registry, you will be asked to surrender it and it will not be returned when you leave.

The police will be informed of any knife which appears to be evidence of, or in relation to, an offence, e.g. an offensive weapon.

If you believe you should have your knife returned you must, within 28 days of it being surrendered, write to the Probate manager giving the following information:

• Owner's name and address
• A brief description of the knife
• The date the knife was surrendered to the registry
• The reference number provided by the registry at the time of surrender

If the Registry decides that the knife is lawfully held, it will be returned by post to the address given in the letter of request.

Knives held by the Registry for which no letter is received will be destroyed 28 days after surrender.

It is your responsibility to ensure that any request for the return of your knife is received by the registry within 28 days.

I don't know about you, but I find this whole thing rather bizarre.  Why pick on knives, and not then have any provision to deter people from arriving with guns or baseball bats?  As for being asked to surrender knives, who's going to be enforcing that?  There's no on-site security, or detectors, or frisking, so anyone's pocket could be home to a knife. 

The lengthy explanation of the policy and how individuals will need to go about reclaiming a surrendered knife is mad.  I like the bit about a knife being returned by post.  I suggest that posting knives is perhaps not the best approach for a government department.  The whole leaflet, content and reality of the experience of visiting the Registry means everything is pointless - unlike the knives that may or may not be in people's pockets when they arrive.  We'll never know.

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