Violent offences slashed in city-wide initiative.
Two Milton Keynes police sergeants have been commended for their outstanding response and leadership in addressing serious violence and knife crime in the city.
During a ceremony at Thames Valley Police’s Sulhamstead training centre, Sergeants Tom Neilson and Colin Prickett were commended for their ‘pivotal’ work in tackling knife crime by Chief Constable Jason Hogg.
In 2022, Milton Keynes faced a surge in serious violence, including four knife-related murders. With the community affected, and following repercussions and general unrest, MK officers were presented with a challenging situation.
Sergeants Neilson and Prickett led a plan called Operation Dina – a local initiative targeting those involved in violence, knife crime and drugs. What started as an operation in localised Milton Keynes areas evolved into a proactive operation targeting criminals who caused the most harm in MK’s communities.
Operation Dina ran between 1st May 2022 and 1st March 2023 and resulted in:
- 338 arrests
- 164 charges
- 740 stop and searches
- 107 weapons recovered
The results highlighted the operation’s success in disrupting serious violence and knife crime and reducing threats to community safety.
“Tom and Colin were pivotal to the delivery of Operation Dina and volunteered to run this alongside their day-to-day job in neighbourhood policing,” said Superintendent Euan Livingstone, who nominated the officers.
“Witnessing their unwavering commitment to leading officers while consistently prioritising community safety was truly outstanding. It stands out as some of the finest operational leadership I’ve encountered in my career.”
“I am extremely proud to have undertaken this work and been able to contribute to making Milton Keynes a safer city for the great communities that live within it,” said Sgt Neilson.
“I am very humbled and honoured to have received this recognition and grateful for every officer and member of staff that played vital roles in supporting the operation and its objectives.”
“I am proud to be recognised for 18 months of dedication to tackling serious violence and knife crime in Milton Keynes,” added Sgt Prickett. “And a big thank you to all the officers that bought into the operation and contributed to making it a success.”
