Bodmin crackdown on knife crime after spate of violent murders

Cutting-edge technology was deployed alongside a police dog in Bodmin over the last bank holiday weekend during a crackdown on knife crime and drugs. The city has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons over the past year or so.

First, Michael ‘Mike’ Riddiough-Allen was stabbed to death outside the Eclipse nightclub in April last year. His killer, Jake Hill, is now serving a life sentence with a minimum of 28 years. Then 18-year-old Lucas Underwood was stabbed in July 2023 and died in the car park of Bodmin Hospital. A 17-year-old boy was charged with murder, but the case was later dropped and the teenager was released.

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Earlier last month, a teenager was arrested after he was found with a kitchen knife on him during a police patrol. He is now going through the Youth Justice Process.

On May 24, Bodmin Police teams were joined by Police Dog (PD) Skye, her handler PC Steve Waters, the local authority’s premises licensing department and representatives from the Security Industry Authority to carry out an operation in the town centre.

The team visited three authorized premises in the city centre. PD Skye was there to detect the presence of illegal drugs and identified several people who were suspected of being in contact with controlled substances, each of whom was searched by officers. A suspected controlled substance was found in an individual’s possession, which was later picked up by officers.

Sergeant Lee Holley said: “Members of the public were happy to engage with the officers and PD Skye and understood the reasons behind us carrying out the operation.

“We are pleased to report that only one person was found to be in possession of a suspected illegal substance. Our teams are committed to working with partners to raise awareness of the risks of using or possessing illegal substances.”

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Later in the evening, a mobile knife spring was installed in one of the licensed premises the team visited. It is used to detect various types of weapons and acts as a deterrent.

The knife spring is similar in appearance to security scanners and was positioned at the entrance, capturing all who entered the venue. The arc can instantly detect the presence of metal objects by flashing red and confirm a negative scan by flashing green. No knives or weapons were detected during this operation.

Sgt Holley said: “All of the venue’s customers were happy to go through the arch to continue and enjoy their evening. People seemed genuinely happy about the lengths we went to, to promote a safe environment where the carrying of weapons is not tolerated.

“Operations like this allow us to have open and honest conversations with the public and give us an opportunity to increase education about the risks of carrying or using drugs and knives. We are pleased that no weapons were found following this operation.”

Phil Turner, owner of the Neon nightclub, added: “The club was delighted to attend the visit, found the knife spring invaluable and we will be looking to purchase one for future use.

“Unfortunately, drugs are an ongoing problem everywhere, especially in the night economy, but the drug dog is a big deterrent. The club will continue to operate as safely as possible, it’s good to know there is some support available especially at these difficult times.”

Sgt Holley added: “We will be running similar operations in the future to reinforce the message that we do not tolerate drug and knife use in our community. We work hard to keep our streets safe and crime-free.”