News / Crime
‘No link’ between latest St Paul’s stabbing and others
Police have said there are no links between a fatal stabbing which took place in St Paul’s on Tuesday night, and other recent incidents.
Avon and Somerset Police Superintendent Mark Runacres made a statement on Ashley Road on Wednesday afternoon, where a man was fatally stabbed on Tuesday evening.
He said he was “fully aware of the concern” among communities in the area following these incidents and said there would be an increased police presence in the area following the most recent stabbing.
is needed now More than ever
Runacres’ statement and the latest fatal stabbing in St Paul’s comes after Bristol24/7 joined other media outlets to launch a city-wide campaign to tackle knife crime.
In a statement, Runacres said: “All our thoughts remain with the victim’s family at this difficult time. They are being supported by specialist family liaison officers and we will continue to keep them updated.
“I would like to publicly thank medical professionals and also the members of the public who came to the man’s aid.
The latest fatal stabbing comes after police launched more details of its knife crime operation in the city – photo: Mia Vines Booth
“The Major Crimes Investigation Team is now leading a murder investigation. This work is now already well underway, and overnight, a 43-year-old-man was arrested on suspicion of murder.
“We are all fully aware of the concern recent incidents in this part of the cities have had on our communities, and we will work with others to make sure that appropriate support is in place for people who need it.
“Earlier today we issued more details of our operation to tackle knife crime and we are committed to working with our partners and communities to tackle the root causes of these incidents.
“There will be an increased police presence in the area over the coming days and I urge local people to approach the patrolling officers and discuss any concerns with them.
“I would like to make clear that we believe the wider risk to the public from this incident to be minimal. We are keen to hear from anyone who was in the area at the time who may have witnessed what happened.
The police issued an update on their knife crime operation on Wednesday morning, with more details on their activities, which included:
- High–visibility patrols in areas intelligence indicates an increase risk of serious violence
- Knife sweeps of parks and open spaces where intelligence suggests knives may have been stored or discarded
- Intervention and disruption activity co-ordinated with multi-agency partners
- Knife test purchase operations with local retailers to ensure that they are not selling weapons or bladed articles to any under 18s
- School education visits raising awareness of the consequences of knife crime
- Working with the Post Office and Border Force to intercept knives being sent in the post
- Hosting of communities meetings and public events to listen to people’s concerns and to provide reassurance
- Utilising civil orders such as Criminal Behaviour Orders to place restrictions on young people such as preventing them from wearing balaclavas and associating with named individuals or groups
- Working with partners and local businesses and communities to install emergency bleed kits in and around the city and wider force area
Runacres said the police wanted to make people feel “reassured about our presence”.
He said there was “nothing to indicate any links” to this incident and others that have taken place in Bristol in recent months but that some of the incidents were linked.
“We believe there have been links between some of the incidents that played out over that 12 day period,” he said.
“The incident in the McDonald’s in the Horsefair and the incident in Rawnsley Park where Darrian tragically lost his life, that’s already been identified and come to light in the investigations.
“We’re still working to identify any wider links between those incidents and also incidents that have been part of the increase in serious violence that played out from 2022 into 2023.
“That’s really key because we need to understand where we need to be focusing our efforts in policing to make sure the work that we do is targeted and effective and doesn’t disproportionately impact on other members of the community.”
Main photo: Mia Vines Booth
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