It is not acceptable to carry a knife. That should not be a controversial statement. Sadly however for far too many people - often young people - it has become normalised. That is why I have been working with Thames Valley Police to launch a fresh approach to tackling knife crime in our region.

Thames Valley Police and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner are today (1/7) launching a tough new approach to tackling knife crime, focussing initially in the city of Milton Keynes.

The operation, driven by Police & Crime Commissioner, Matthew Barber, will be known as Operation Deter, and will focus on prosecution, intervention and prevention.

The performance of the 101 non-emergency service is one of the areas that I am determined to improve within Thames Valley. Although we have seen some improvements in recent years the public rightly has high expectations and getting this service right is vital to ensuring public confidence.

Year 7 and 8 pupils have launched a gripping and pioneering film exploring the topical issue of County Lines drugs operations. The film follows the story of Elliott, a twelve-year boy, who finds himself coerced and exploited into the world of County Lines.

76% of the young men in prison in England and Wales had absent fathers and there is also plenty of evidence to suggest that the absence of a father has an adverse impact on daughters too.

Matthew Barber, Thames Valley’s Police & Crime Commissioner, says policing locally will benefit from more than £400,000 of funding towards technology and data to help prevent crime