BOURNEMOUTH’S MP has hit out at a lack of policing in Bournemouth town centre and called for action following a murder investigation which was launched in the Square this morning.
Sir Conor Burns, Bournemouth West MP, told the Daily Echo the public don't want words of reassurance from the police anymore – they want to see officers on the ground.
A large police cordon remains in place in the Square and Lower Gardens today following the death of an 18-year-old Bournemouth man, with four men arrested on suspicion of murder.
Sir Conor said: “This is yet another tragic, unnecessary young life gone and yet again Bournemouth is making national headlines for all the wrong reasons.
“We heard from the police today that the public can be reassured that they're going to see a visible police presence in the town centre for the next few days following this incident.
“Well, that's not what the public want to hear. The public want to hear that the police are going into the town centre again in a visible way that tackles crime, that clamps down on aggressive begging and aggressive behaviour and that changes the culture of our town centre back to one that people felt safe and welcoming to go into.”
Read more: Where you can and can't go in Bournemouth town centre
Sir Conor said he has spoken with residents and businesses have “given up” on reporting crime to Dorset Police as they “feel crime isn’t being tackled and investigated”.
“I just think we are genuinely reaching a tipping point here. You only ever see police in vehicles, never on patrol on foot,” the MP of 13 years added.
“The shopkeepers and the residents in the town centre and more widely are telling me that they have got an acute dose of reporting fatigue.
“In other words, they don't see the point in reporting stuff to the police anymore because nothing happens.
“I have experienced this myself when I reported in April a live drug deal taking place at the corner of Alton Road and Priestly Road in Wallisdown while out delivering my survey.
“And guess what I heard back from the police? Nothing. People want to see police out in the community making the public safe.”
Sir Conor said he will be taking this latest incident up with the chief constable Amanda Pearson as well as ministers from the Home Office.
“If our town centre is allowed to slide even further down than it already is, then then all the efforts of me and the consultation that I'm doing and Vikki Slade and the consultation that the council are doing will count for nothing.
“If we can’t get basic safety to be a priority, we are going to drive away what businesses we have left and we will pollute and toxify the wider area.
“This is really fundamental – no more words, we need action.”
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