The seaside town of Bournemouth made unwanted headlines recently: a shocking murder on the beach, a violent brawl among sunbathers and a string of lesser persistent crimes that left locals disturbed. Now, local residents have decided they’re not waiting any longer for the authorities to act. They’ve donned blue bibs, raised thousands on GoFundMe, and hit the streets as the self-styled “Safeguard Force” a civilian patrol group that says it wants to protect the vulnerable and deter antisocial behaviour.
As Southampton grapples with some of the highest crime rates in Hampshire it begs the question, does our city need a ‘peoples patrol’ group like this of its own?
Bournemouth’s Safeguard Force was born out of frustration. In April, 34-year-old Amie Gray was stabbed to death on the beach—her killer, Nasen Saadi, has since been jailed for life. Just weeks later, a mass brawl erupted on another beach, injuring a teenage girl and two police officers. Enough was enough, said local businessman Gary Bartlett, who founded the group.
Since then, more than 200 volunteers, including ex-security staff and first aiders, have signed up. They’ve raised over £3,000 to buy body cameras, stab vests and radios. On Facebook, the group presents itself as a grassroots movement: “This isn’t the government. This isn’t the police. This is us—people from the community, helping people in the community. Volunteers from all walks of life, giving up their time to keep our streets safer for everyone.”
But not everyone’s convinced. Critics, including campaigners from Stand Up To Racism Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, have branded Safeguard Force a “vigilante group”, warning it could stoke “division and fear, rather than safety.” The group insists it’s non-political, inclusive, and that all volunteers undergo DBS checks and first aid training. They say they want to work with the police, not instead of them—but as yet, Dorset Police haven’t given Safeguard Force their official backing.
Scratch beneath the surface, and Southampton’s own statistics make for sobering reading. Official figures for 2025 show Southampton is the most dangerous city in Hampshire, and the second most dangerous overall out of all 268 towns, villages and cities in the county. The city’s crime rate (110 crimes per 1,000 people) is a whopping 67% higher than the Hampshire average. Among the most common offences are violence and sexual offences, with more than 13,500 reported last year alone. Robbery, while less common, is still a persistent issue: Southampton regularly tops the county’s tables for robbery rates, month after month, year after year.
Ask around in some neighbourhoods, and you’ll hear residents say they feel let down, by the police who dont turn up, by the council, by a system that doesn’t seem to have the resources or the will to tackle crime head-on.
The Bournemouth ‘peoples patrol’ model is striking a chord with some, who argue that visible patrols by trained volunteers, armed only with radios and bodycams, not weapons could deter would-be offenders and reassure the public. Others worry it’s a slippery slope: what starts as “extra eyes and ears” could turn into something more confrontational, undermining trust and making some groups feel targeted.
Safeguard Force founder Gary Bartlett is adamant his group is not about vigilantism. “Our volunteers have no more legal powers than any member of the public,” he told the press. “We are not a vigilante group and we do not engage in any unlawful activity. Our role is to be extra eyes and ears in the community, deter antisocial behaviour, and report issues to the police or relevant authorities.” He wouldn’t say, however, whether his volunteers would step in if they witnessed a crime in progress.
The group is also working on a mobile ‘Safeguard App’—a kind of SOS button for anyone who feels threatened, with volunteers ready to respond. But even with these reassurances, some local campaigners and public officials remain sceptical.
So, would a Safeguard Force help here, or just add to the city’s tensions? It’s a question that touches on everything from police funding to community trust, and it doesn’t have a simple answer. What’s clear is that Southampton’s crime problem isn’t going away on its own. Whether it’s more police on the streets, more CCTV, or more community patrols, something has to give.
For now, Bournemouth’s experiment is being watched closely, by supporters and sceptics alike. If it works, don’t be surprised if you see blue bibs patrolling the streets of Southampton next. But take a walk on Southampton high street at any time of the day and you could be forgiven for thinking you’ve entered a dystopian nightmare of drug addicts, drunks and petit thieves. Is our City really heading in the right direction at the moment?
