Croydon Council will build on its work to make the borough safer with £495k Home Office funding to combat knife crime, awarded as part of the Winter of Action.
Working with the Police, and partners, the Council will introduce a range of crime prevention measures in Croydon town centre – particularly North End and West Croydon Station – and Thornton Heath.
These will include installing high-visibility security cameras in known hotspots and removing street furniture to deter offenders from gathering.
The Council will also introduce Safer Croydon Partnership Pods – a series of huts in crime hotspots. These will act as a contact point where people can access services. They will be a visible sign that our partners, such as the Council’s Town Centre Taskforce are active in the area, with a focus on supporting children travelling to and from school.
This work aligns with Executive Mayor Jason Perry’s commitment to making Croydon safer. Mayor Perry has introduced a zero-tolerance approach to crime and antisocial behaviour, combined with strong partnership initiatives like the Town Centre Taskforce.
Crime statistics show robbery down 16%, shoplifting down 18.7%, knife crime down 19.5%, and knife-related robbery down 26.8%.
Police are also catching more offenders, with positive outcomes up 82.8% for retail crime and up 76.5% for repeat offenders.
Mayor Perry has also written to the Mayor of London to ask that Croydon be the first London borough to pilot GPS ankle tagging for persistent shoplifters, using Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBOs) with enforceable exclusion zones around the town and district centres.
“In Croydon our strong partnership work has seen us cut crime and make the streets safer. Knife crime is down nearly 20% and robbery down 16%.
“But we are not complacent. Knife crime can have devastating consequences for young people, their families and the whole community. I want residents of all ages to feel safe, wherever they are in our borough, whatever time of night or day.
“This funding means we can build on initiatives like the Town Centre Taskforce and our zero-tolerance approach, which are already helping to make Croydon safer.
“We’ll be introducing extra measures to prevent knife crime and help young people stay safe, from more cameras to improving the environment so residents of all ages can get help and support.
“I look forward to continuing to work with the Police, residents, businesses and partners to tackle crime head-on and make Croydon a safer place for everyone.”
Jason Perry, Executive Mayor of Croydon
