Police in Bury have launched a new targeted operation aimed at reducing violence in the borough following the fatal stabbing of a teenager earlier this month.
Officers were called to Market Street in Bury town centre on March 11 following reports of a stabbing. An 18-year-old man was rushed to hospital in a serious condition and it was later confirmed that he had died.
Abdikarim Abdalla Ahmed was later formally identified as the victim of the tragic incident. Known as Abdi to friends and family, his heartbroken mother described him as 'a loving, caring person who helped and looked after his family from a young age'.
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In an emotional statement, issued by Greater Manchester Police, she said: "My beautiful boy Abdi passed away far too young and with his whole life ahead of him. He was taken from us too soon, and in the worst possible way.”
Four people have been arrested in connection with Abdi’s murder to date, with a police investigation continuing. Officers have now launched Operation Heartbeat - a multi-agency response which will see neighbourhood officers work closely with Bury Council.
The operation will increase the number of high-visibility specialist officers in the town centre over the next few weeks. GMP said officers will engage with members of the public ‘to provide reassurance and address any concerns or worries they may have’.
There will also be a particular focus on youth engagement and local authority youth services have already been conducting youth outreach work in and around Bury Town centre. Knife crime awareness events will also be taking place at local colleges and schools.
Chief Superintendent Chris Hill, of GMP's Bury district, said: "We're all deeply saddened by the recent incidents across Bury and our thoughts remain with the family and loved ones of those affected. I want to reassure the community that we are continuing to work closely with all our partner agencies to ensure we keep Bury and our wider community safe and free from harm.
"Recent incidents in Bury and across Greater Manchester have no doubt caused great concern and worry and I want to stress that we are here to listen and address those concerns. Knife crime can have devastating consequence and the public want to see police officers on the streets and challenging those who are causing these issues.
“We will be stripping policing back to basics and doing just that by increasing our visibility on our streets, using stop and search powers, engaging with young people on the streets and in schools, and ensuring the wider community are listened to. I would urge anyone within the community that has information, or suspects someone is carrying a weapon or is involved in criminal behaviour, to report it to us or to contact Crimestoppers.
"I also directly appeal to those carrying weapons to surrender them in our Forever Amnesty bins which are located at 12 police stations across Greater Manchester. There will be no questions asked and could potentially save further lives."
