Thames Valley Police has enacted a Section 60 order following multiple incidents of disorder in Milton Keynes this evening (23/12).
The order has been put in place for 24 hours and will expire at 6.46pm tomorrow (24/12).
A Section 60 can only be put in place in a defined area at a specific time when a senior officer believes there is a possibility of serious violence, or weapons being carried.
The order temporarily enhances powers for officers, meaning they can stop and search anyone in the area shown on the map below.
At 6.46pm tomorrow, the order will be reviewed and could be extended further.
The Section 60 order covers the area defined by: the M1 - Wolverton Road - Newport Road - Stratford Road - Calverton Road - Snelshall Street – Whaddon Road – Stoke Road – A4146.
Inspector Tejinder Sidhu, based at Milton Keynes police station, said: “We have put this order in place while we carry out our investigation into multiple incidents of disorder in the city.
“The order will give our officers extra powers to carry out stop and search activity, and has been enacted for the safety of the public.
“I understand that an order of this nature could cause concern, but while it may sound alarming, enhancing our stop and search powers provides us with another tactic to quickly identify and disrupt those carrying weapons.
“If you are stopped by an officer, please do not be worried as this does not mean that you are in trouble.
“You will see more police officers in the area while the order is in place and we expect to carry out more stop and searches than usual.
“Officers who are out and about are there to reassure you as well as using their powers under Section 60 so please do stop and speak with them about any concerns that you have.”
More information on stop and search is available.