Policing leads for Bournemouth town centre are issuing a message to the community as detectives continue to investigate an incident where a young man sadly lost his life.
At 1.26am on Saturday 5 August 2023 Dorset Police received a report that a man had received a suspected stab wound following an altercation involving a group of people in the area of The Square.
Very sadly the victim, an 18-year-old man from Bournemouth, was pronounced dead at the scene. His family continues to be supported by dedicated officers.
Four 18-year-old men – two from the Portsmouth area, one from Bournemouth and one from Poole – were arrested on suspicion of murder and they remain in police custody at this time.
Enquiries are continuing, led by detectives from the Major Crime Investigation Team (MCIT).
Superintendent Gavin House, lead for neighbourhood policing in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, said: “In the early hours of Saturday 5 August 2023 a young man tragically lost his life. Officers deployed to our dedicated night-time economy policing operation were on scene almost immediately and, despite their efforts, were unable to save his life.
“Local officers patrolling the area were however able to quickly apprehend four young men, who remain in police custody and are assisting with our ongoing enquiries.
“On the night of this tragic incident we had 28 officers on dedicated foot patrols in the town centre at the time it occurred. This was in addition to our response and specialist operational teams answering calls for service on mobile vehicle patrol.
“We recognise that violent crime and knife crime is a significant concern for our communities and understand that incidents such as this will serve to add to that concern.
“We have been taking proactive steps in recent months to tackle violent crime and anti-social behaviour with officers patrolling key locations and using appropriate policing tactics, working alongside our partners within the town centre.
“We have seen an increase in the number of officers in our town centre neighbourhood policing team and our regular weekend Op Fireglow patrols in the gardens and town centre where officers engage with members of the public and provide a visible policing presence.
“I would like to thank our partners who have supported our response this weekend, providing additional community safety patrols and youth outreach workers.
“This evening, Saturday 5 August 2023, a dispersal notice will remain in place for Bournemouth town centre. This will assist officers with additional powers to require individuals to leave the area to prevent ant-social behaviour and should they fail to comply with the instruction, they can be arrested.
“We remain committed to doing all we can to tackle crime in the town centre and supporting our local communities and visitors to feel safe in our public spaces. Incidents such as this will be fully investigated and we will continue to provide an increased policing presence in the vicinity so officers can be approached by members of the public with any information or concerns.
“I want to again thank businesses and members of the public who have been impacted by the police cordons in the town centre for their patience and understanding while this important investigative work takes place.”
Anyone with information is asked to submit it to the investigation team via the Major Incident Public Portal page at https://mipp.police.uk/operation/55HQ23M98-PO1. If you are unable to submit information online, please call 101 quoting occurrence number 55230122793. Alternatively, independent charity Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously online at Crimestoppers-uk.org or by calling Freephone 0800 555 111.
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