A Church Street shopkeeper was stabbed this morning as two boys, described by an eyewitness as being as young as 13 to 15 years old, robbed his store.
According to onlookers, it took police officers 30 minutes to attend the scene. The man’s wounds are believed to be not serious.
This latest incident occurred just yards away from where Rijkaard Siafa was attacked and killed in April this year on Surrey Street.
In a statement this afternoon, Scotland Yard said: “Police were called at approximately 11.20am on Thursday, July 11, to reports of a stabbing in Church Street. Officers and London Ambulance Service attended and found a man suffering a stab injury – he was taken to hospital for treatment. Two males were arrested at the scene on suspicion of GBH and robbery. Both remain in custody. A crime scene remains in place.
Traders working in Surrey Street Market and Church Street expressed their frustration, claiming they are neglected by the police, the council, and the local BID (Business Improvement District). The BID receives public grants used to pay private security contractors to patrol North End, and Croydon Mayor Jason Perry is a director of Croydon BID.
Shopkeepers and stall-holders on Surrey Street have been appealing for a greater police presence to deal with rising crime, including drug dealing in broad daylight. We’re ignored by the police,” said one source.
In recent years, the MyEnds organisation, run by community organiser Anthony King and operating in partnership with Croydon Voluntary Action, has received £1.6 million in grants from MOPAC (the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime) to work with Croydon’s communities to reduce gang-related and drug-related violent crime. Despite these efforts, 11 people were killed on the streets of Croydon in 2023.
Croydon Council has a Neighbourhood Safety Board, chaired since 2018 by community organiser Donna Murray-Turner. The Board is supposed to be a forum for public and councillor scrutiny of police operations in the borough. However, with Murray-Turner as chair, the Board has not held a single meeting since 2019.
Following today’s knife crime incident in the town centre, Superintendent Mitch Carr, who leads community policing in Croydon, said: “We acknowledge the concerns of those who work in Surrey Street, and our town centre officers regularly patrol the area and speak to market traders. We also need this to be a full partnership approach, as improving the perception of safety in Croydon town centre cannot be achieved just by the police. We will continue to work closely with key partners, including the local authority, Croydon BID, and community organisations.
The Metropolitan Police is appealing for witnesses to today’s knife attack on Church Street. Anyone with information is asked to call 101 or contact @MetCC on social media, quoting CAD3082/11Jul. Information can also be provided anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
