Ben Everitt, the MP for Milton Keynes North, has praised the local police force after crime fell across the Thames Valley Police force area.
In 2019, local MP Ben campaigned on a promise to deliver 600 more officers for the force – that number has been smashed with more than 700 extra officers recruited. That means Thames Valley Police now have more police officers than ever before.
Crime across the whole of Thames Valley is down over the last 12 months with homicide down 29.4%, sexual offences down 3.1%, theft from vehicle down 8.7% and bicycle theft down 26.9%.
Knife enabled crime is also down 13% after the launch of Operation Deter - backed by Ben and launched in MK - which takes a zero tolerance approach to carrying a knife, ensuring anybody caught with a knife spends time behind bars.
Ben Everitt MP said: “Tackling crime in Milton Keynes is my priority and I’m delighted to see we’re making progress with crime down across Thames Valley Police.
“I’ve been working hard with the Police and Crime Commissioner over the last few years as we recruited more than 700 more police officers and launched Op Deter. The message is clear, if you're caught with a knife in MK, you're going behind bars
“The Conservative Government’s recruitment campaign means Thames Valley Police now have more officers than ever before and now we’re planning on doubling the number of neighbourhood officers so you can feel a police presence in your area.
“I’m grateful to our dedicated police officers for the fantastic work they continue to do in Milton Keynes and across the force in getting those crime numbers down.”
