On February 4, 2026, Thames Valley Police and Milton Keynes City Council launched an intensified, coordinated effort to tackle street drinking and drug-related activity in Central Milton Keynes. The operation focuses on the residential corridor around North 9th Street and Silbury Boulevard, with officers increasing visible foot patrols and specifically monitoring communal entrances and foyers of residential blocks.
The action follows repeated complaints from residents about open-air drug dealing and public drinking, and council environmental teams are carrying out clean-ups to remove hazardous drug litter such as needles, foil and gas canisters.
Police say they are issuing formal warnings under the Alcohol Public Space Protection Order (PSPO). Those who continue to act anti‑socially may be issued a Fixed Penalty Notice of £100 (the PSPO FPN), with the standard early-payment discount applying where permitted, or be subject to further measures such as Criminal Behaviour Orders.
“We are listening to the concerns of residents in Central Milton Keynes. This increased presence is about more than just enforcement; it’s about reclaiming these spaces for the people who live here,” said a Thames Valley Police neighbourhood policing spokesperson in a February 2026 update. Cllr Amber McQuillan, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, has also supported the council’s use of PSPO powers; the council’s 2024 consultation on extending the alcohol PSPO received 411 responses, with 96% of respondents in favour of an extension.
The corridor has previously been identified as a local hotspot in reporting and policing records — for example, a 2019 Milton Keynes Citizen article listed Silbury Boulevard among streets with high numbers of drug‑crime reports — and Thames Valley Police’s local priorities pages still note continued problems around North 9th, North 10th Street and Silbury Boulevard. Anyone with concerns about nuisance behaviour in their neighbourhood is encouraged to report it to Thames Valley Police online or by calling 101.
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