Councillor makes plea to MPs and police after knife crime claims three young lives in Milton Keynes

Milton Keynes councillor Dr Shery Delfani has made a plea to local MPs and Thames Valley Police demanding action over the wave of knife crime that has claimed three lives in less than two months.

Writing to Iain Stewart, MP for MK South, Ben Everitt, MP for MK North and Matthew Barber, PCC for Thames Valley Police, cllr Delfani highlights concerns with the PCC’s plan to combat anti-social behaviour.

Her letter, which you can read in full below, highlights the sickening loss of young life in MK with three people killed in just seven weeks as a direct result of knife crime.

It comes as police appealed to the people of Milton Keynes to come forward with video footage they know was filmed of the murder of 16-year-old Ahmednur Nuur.

"Sadly, we are experiencing a significant rise in levels of crime, especially knife crime in Milton Keynes. It is absolutely shocking to live in a society where we see young people affected as primary and secondary victims of these tragedies.

"But the question is, why has this increased dramatically in Milton Keynes for the last few years? On September 2021, the PCC revealed his plans to commit £7.72million to combating anti-social behaviour in the Thames Valley region and hat MK will be allocated £2,098,398 over this three-year plan.

"Additionally, the PCC also made a statement on 26/06/2021 as follows: “my new Police & Criminal Justice Plan sets strong local policing as a priority and explicitly seeks to reduce violent crimes, especially deaths from knife crime."

"Although this plan is to be welcomed, there are some concerns - firstly it will not start until April 2022 and secondly there is no clarity or action plan to specifically tackle knife crime in MK.

"Per 100,000 of the population, police numbers in England and Wales are among the lowest in Europe. Nationally, there are still approximately 12,000 fewer police officers in 2021 than there were in 2010.

"Despite the government’s promise in 2019, to recruit more police and bring the numbers up to the years before, so far, the government has failed to keep its promise.

"In two years, knife crime in the MK has soared by a staggering 90 percent, a higher rise than in London with at least ten fatal stabbings in less than two years. In 2020/ 2021, according to the latest data, Milton Keynes had 81 knife enabled incidents. Sadly, MK has the highest overall knife related crime numbers in the whole of the TVP force area according to a national report.

"This cannot be allowed to continue. By perpetuating the failure to invest in police resources and cuts in CCTV, MK residents are paying for this issue with their lives. As a woman, I do not feel safe anymore to walk in MK’s streets while I know there is not enough police and CCTV coverage to protect us.

"We all have a role to play. I urge you all, to put this matter urgently at the top of your agenda by sourcing more police and CCTV in MK. We cannot accept any more lives to be taken because of knife crime in MK.”