Knives and drugs seized by officers at city courts
YOU would think that if you had a court date in your diary, you’d be in enough trouble already.
But that hasn’t stopped some people from trying to get prohibited and often dangerous items through the doors of Welsh courts.
There were 13,597 items seized by officials at Cardiff Crown and magistrates’ courts during 2018.
And the stats obtained from Her Majesty’s Court and Tribunal Service via the Freedom of Information Act show that knives are prevalent.
Last year alone, 131 knives under three inches were confiscated at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court. Fifteen were confiscated at the city’s crown court.
To make matters worse, there were six attempts to take in bigger knives – those measuring more than three inches – into Cardiff crown.
There were also a large number of nondrinkable liquids seized by court security officers.
These items, which could be anything from cleaning products, to perfume, deodorant, aerosol, nail varnish or vape liquid, were removed from people entering a court in Cardiff, Swansea or Llanelli a staggering 7,942 times. There were 3,435 cases in July alone, and 1,845 in June.
Alcohol was another common item removed from people at the door, the findings reveal.
At Cardiff Magistrates’ Court, booze was confiscated 310 times, and 55 times at Cardiff Crown Court.
There were also some unusual items you might not even expect to be removed.
Umbrellas and motorcycle helmets, both considered to be potentially dangerous weapons that could inflict injury on another, along with cutlery, and protest materials such as banners, klaxons or loud hailers, were also stopped from going through security.
A spokesman for Her Majesty’s Court and Tribunal Service (HMCTS) said: “HMCTS take the issue of security within courts extremely seriously and have a robust security and safety system to protect all court users and the judiciary.
“This system includes mandatory bag searches, metal detectors and surveillance cameras, as well as court security officers who have legislative powers to protect all those in the court building.
“Our security system is continually monitored to ensure that it is effective and proportionate and mitigates against the risks faced.”