Metal detector glove fight knife crime

Strathclyde Police officers are trying out new metal detector gloves to help them catch knife carriers. The stab-proof, battery-operated gloves are made of Kevlar.

Officers wearing them can scan a person for weapons using their fingertips or the palms of their hands. If metal is found, the glove vibrates at the wrist.

Karyn McCluskey, deputy head of the Violence Reduction Unit, said: “We are constantly looking at using new technology to detect weapons and take them off the streets of Scotland. It’s important we look at innovative ways of tackling violence, and we are confident that these gloves will allow officers to search people safely and efficiently. The gloves are currently being tested by officers in a training environment and we will see how they perform on the street.”

Officers in Central Scotland and Strathclyde Police will use the gloves during the month-long enforcement phase of the Safer Scotland campaign, which follows the nationwide knife amnesty. One thousand hand-held metal detectors have already been issued to Scottish police forces as part of Safer Scotland.

Chief Inspector Bob Hutchison is lead officer for Safer Scotland in Central Scotland.

He said: “The feedback from officers who have been using the gloves in training is pretty positive and we look forward to seeing how they perform this weekend.”

Officers will test four sets of gloves for one month. They will then be asked to provide feedback to the Violence Reduction Unit.”