‘Vigilante’ force plans patrols in crime-hit seaside town

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*By Telegraph reporters, 07 Aug 2025 – 01:42PM BST*

“Vigilante” volunteers are planning to carry out uniformed patrols in a crime-hit seaside town.

More than 200 residents, including ex-military personnel, security professionals and first aiders, have signed up to the Safeguard Force in Bournemouth.

The Dorset town has seen several stabbings and sexual assaults in recent years, including the murders of Tom Roberts, Amie Gray and Cameron Hamilton.

The group, set up by Gary Bartlett, a local businessman, has said it will “protect the most vulnerable in our town – especially women, children and the elderly”. It has vowed to work alongside Dorset Police to make the streets safer, but has yet to be endorsed by the force.

Anti-racism campaigners have claimed it will target asylum seekers staying in the town’s three migrant hotels.

Safeguard Force members have said all volunteers will be required to undergo DBS checks and first aid training, and that the group would be “non-political and inclusive”. A GoFundMe campaign to buy body cameras, stab vests and radios has raised over £3,000.

In addition to patrols, the group is developing a mobile Safeguard App – an SOS-style tool to allow people to quickly request help if they feel vulnerable in public.

Volunteers are set to carry out their first patrols on Monday, which will focus on Bournemouth and Boscombe, including the areas’ beaches and gardens.

Mr Bartlett said: “We’re here to support our community and work alongside the police to make Dorset a safer place for everyone.

“Our volunteers have no more legal powers than any member of the public. We are not a vigilante group, and we do not engage in any unlawful activity.”

Mr Bartlett declined to explain whether the volunteers would physically intervene if they saw criminal acts taking place.

Dorset Police confirmed that it was aware of the group and had begun discussions with its organisers while assessing “any risks and opportunities” it might bring to the area.

Supt Pete Browning said: “While the group hadn’t engaged with us before launching, we have since reached out to them and had discussions about their plans, policies and process.

“As a result, we have asked to have further discussions with them in relation to their operating model, including reassurances around vetting processes, equipment carried, training provided and safeguarding policies.

“As a partnership, together with our local authority colleagues and others, we are continuing to assess the information, risks and opportunities community groups can bring. Therefore we are not in a position to support or endorse the group or their activities at this time. We will continue to engage with the organiser to ensure that they operate within the law.”

The force also pointed to existing volunteering roles such as the Special Constabulary and street pastors, where individuals are trained and vetted to support community safety.

Campaign group Stand Up To Racism said it feared the group would target asylum seekers and “risks fostering division and fear”.

A spokesman for BCP Stand Up To Racism said: “This is a vigilante group, which seems to be targeting refugees and Muslim communities who they suggest are a threat to women and children.

“The presence of uniformed civilians acting on ideological motives risks fostering division and fear, rather than safety.”

You can guarantee if anything happens they’ll be the ones treated like criminals

Why would the assumption be that asylum seekers would be most affected by this?

So. Lots of Asian going to be wondering why the bald bloke who looks angry is following them?

Never gonna agree with these kinda dudes, several popped up in my area and all it turned into people with beefs convincing enough people to wreck their property and then the police having to announce the person isn’t a sex offender or on the sex Offenders register.

Crime can be be bad, but ask yourself in all honesty, would you want the local fuckwit in your town being responsible for properly identifying a crime that’s not clear cut?

Well in theory this is the Peelian principles in action.

> The police are the public and the public are the police; the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence.

The average person now is so afraid to to anything about crime happening in front of them that the social contract has been broken and our style of policing is designed on the community being involved

Yeah…..this won’t end well. I don’t imagine these people are particularly well versed in the particulars of their any person arrest powers, or Section 3.

Expect unlawful “detentions” (AKA: Kidnap), and violence.

That said, this is the inevitable outcome when people feel their contract with the state is broken. The UK has, for a very very long term, essentially removed all power from citizens and encouraged them to defer.

We don’t carry weapons, we certainly don’t carry firearms etc any more (All perfectly normal things not so many decades ago), and we accept that on the basis that the police will protect us.

And, like all laws, they only really work when you have the consent of the public to uphold them.

We’re in a mess, and one that’s been in the making for a good few years now.

How entertaining 

Bournemouth already has a group which does this called the town rangers which is paid for by a levy on business within the town centre. The rangers mostly focus on shoplifting and behaviour which impacts trade.

I imagine this lot will be stood outside the RoundHouse and the co op on Christchurch road 24/7 to intimidate the jakeys into not robbing everything blind for a change 

Strange how the media reports this compared with say, the Shomrim.

Looks like a EDL / BNP / Reform party gathering tbh.

(The 1 Sikh gentleman there probably naively turned up believing the fake reason / advert. Or is being paid).

I’m sure that a bunch of fat, bald, ruddy faced middle aged men from the south of England will be perfectly impartial in their attempts to keep the peace, and I’m sure that this won’t just be a convenient excuse to violently attack minorities.

They need these along the beach, Boscombe, Charminster, Moordown and Ensbury Park.

Police in Winton are fecking useless.

I hope those highly educated doctors, engineers, scientists and philosophers are going to be safe.

The Muslims did it in Birmingham in the 80s when they had a major red light problem and they literally solved the issue.

When Democratic action becomes impossible, the People’s action becomes inevitable.

If you want to volunteer to patrol the streets just join your local special constabulary and get the right gear and at least some training rather than wandering around beating people up because you think they look dodgy.

The inevitable result of barely funded and staffed police forces, and courts which seem side with criminals rather than victims .

I’m not condoning it, but I do understand it.

Can’t really fault them for trying to do SOMETHING, but without equipment, training or legal powers to do anything beyond making a citizen’s arrest, they might be best registering as Special Constables, since at least they’d be armed and have the backing of the professional police.
My Local Bobby is pretty similar, but both outfits are a long way from supplanting or helping the police, and could be worse than useless. If Met officers were hard cash, this group, and My Local Bobby and Police Community Support Officers are at best like an IOU-a promise that genuine police will be along at some point.
Still a start, though. The government may have to (finally) make some concessions to outfits like this, since there’s no way in hell they can increase police numbers for a year or two at least.

Vigilantes always means a bunch of sex pests and wife beaters.

They look like a group of walking criminal records xD