Parish councillor links knife crime with hunger and poverty in Milton Keynes

A parish councillor has spoken out about her theories on the link between poverty and knife crime in Milton Keynes.

West Bletchley Parish councillor Dr Shery Delfani says that "hunger makes a criminal of any man” and is calling for more funding and job opportunities in deprived areas of the city.

She said: "As my own research gained from working with probation services and local communities in MK alongside data from Scottish government has proven, there is a powerful link between poverty and crime. No-one is saying that poor people commit more crime, or even that poverty triggers crime but the background of children who commit crime reveals a very strong relationship and connection between poverty and violent crime.

“Tackling poverty and inequality and imbalance is the safest way to reduce crime. Children from poorer families are at substantially greater risk of being engaged in violent crime and harming themselves later in life."

Dr Delfina added: "Poverty has impacts on different elements such as, insecure housing and poorer quality, cold homes and expensive warmth, food insecurity, unhealthy lifestyle, high stress and anxiety level and insecure work.”

In 2021, it was estimated by the Loughborough Society that over 18,000 children were living in poverty in Milton Keynes – 29.7% in total.

Meanwhile, following a third fatal stabbing in seven weeks, police spent all of last week conducting Section 60 stop and searches in areas of MK - and they have warned there is no excuse to carry a knife.

Chief Inspector Livingstone has warned: "If you carry a knife within Milton Keynes, we will catch up with you...We have diversionary and intervention programmes, we have rehabilitation programmes, but if you continuously choose to carry a knife it will NOT be tolerated in Milton Keynes and you WILL find yourself in custody.":

Speaking of the latest tragedy, where the victim was a 16-year-old boy, he said: "We know that knife crime isn't a Milton Keynes issue alone. It's a national problem an it's a complex one.

"I know that you will be as committed as we are to ending knife crime within Milton Keynes and we all have a role to play within this - emergency services, teacher, parents, business owners, community leaders, students.

"This tragic incident has an impact far and wide and together we can prevent this from happening again."

Last week the Citizen reported that knife crime education packs are to be distributed to schools in Milton Keynes.

The digital pack is designed to help educate young people about the dangers of carrying knives.