Free Tickets?

[Dogmatic]

I wonder if I hand in the unwanted cutlery set received as a wedding present if they can do a GF ticket??

Knives for footy
04 June 2006 Sunday Herald Sun
Carly Crawford

MACHETES, swords and fearsome knives will be exchanged for footy gear and movie tickets in a bold new plan to reclaim the streets of Melbourne's roughest suburbs.


Kevin Sheedy
Nathan Buckley
Round 10 photos

The knife-for-tickets scheme, which has the support of Victoria Police, could be extended around the state if a pilot swap next month is successful.

Victoria Police Inspector Scott Mahony said perceptions of rising knife crime demanded attention.

"There have been a number of incidents where knives have been the weapon of choice and we don't want that to become the culture of today," Insp Mahony said.

Youth worker Les Twentyman, of Open Family Australia, said secondary and pre-secondary school students would be targets of the scheme.

"People are very worried that more and more kids are falling into a culture that's very un-Australian," he said.

"We are just sick of people being stabbed and people not feeling safe. We are trying to reclaim the streets."

A swap meet is due to go ahead at Footscray's Whitten Oval in early July when youths will be invited to turn in their weapons in exchange for Western Bulldogs hats and DVDs, movie vouchers and possibly even footy tickets, Mr Twentyman said.

He expected the swap to net 200 knives.

There have been at least 10 fatal or life-threatening stabbings in the western suburbs this year alone.

A young man lost his hand during a clash between gangs at Fitzroy Gardens in 2004.

Police will oversee safety on the day of the exchange.

"We're behind what remains, at this stage, a concept and we'll be bringing the interested parties together," Insp Mahony said.

Under Victorian laws, it is illegal to carry bladed weapons in public. But during the exchange, police would use discretionary powers and choose not to arrest those relinquishing their knives.

The scheme may go statewide if successful.

[Punk Rooster]

Malcolm Blight will probably get given Life Membership with the Western Bulldogs, when he hands over the knives removed from his back, courtesy of Grant "Doubting" Thomas...
Geelong were turned away when they tried to offer silk purses...

[ORDoubleBlues]

Malcolm Blight will probably get given Life Membership with the Western Bulldogs, when he hands over the knives removed from his back, courtesy of Grant "Doubting" Thomas...