Milton Keynes MPs Ben Everitt and Iain Stewart have welcomed the Police and Crime Commissioner’s new Operation Deter to tackle knife crime across the city.
Ben and Iain have both been working closely with Thames Valley PCC Matthew Barberand the Home Office and Ministry of Justice on the issue of knife crime in MK, and recently set up walkabouts with the PCC in Oldbrook and Netherfield respectively.
Operation Deter will be focussed around Milton Keynes and will see Thames Valley Police adopt a zero tolerance approach to knife possession offences in Milton Keynes for offenders aged over 18, with the objective being that any knife possession offences are proactively charged and remanded to court by TVP while the suspect is still in custody. Following the charge, the custody sergeant will then take a more robust approach to bail. This will set a clear message to those routinely carrying a knife in Milton Keynes, that this will simply not be tolerated.
Additional funding is also being provided to the Milton Keynes Youth Offending Team to pilot a rapid response approach to youth diversion, with an initial meeting with a child taking place within 90 minutes of them being brought into custody.
Ben Everitt, the MP for Milton Keynes North, has been determined to ensure anybody caught carrying a knife in Milton Keynes should expect to be locked up and has welcomed Op Deter’s plan to make this happen.
He said: “I’ve been working very closely with Matthew Barber on tackling knife crime here in Milton Keynes and I’m strongly encouraged by the plans announced for Operation Deter.
“I’ve been saying for a long time that we need to ensure if you are caught carrying a knife on the streets of Milton Keynes you should expect to be put behind bars and this is a big step in the right direction.”
Iain Stewart, the MP for Milton Keynes South, commented: “I welcome the deployment of Operation Deter in Milton Keynes, as I am sure residents across Milton Keynes will welcome it too.
“Over the last few months, I have been working with Government Ministers, the Thames Valley Police & Crime Commissioner and Thames Valley Police to see what we can do to tackle knife crime in Milton Keynes.
“Operation Deter is one of the outcomes of my conversations and it will make positive steps in the fight against knife-carriers and deterring individuals thinking of carrying a knife.”