Extra police funding for Croydon town centre to continue (From Croydon Guardian)

Extra police funding for Croydon town centre to continue

12:40pm Wednesday 24th October 2012 in News

Funding for additional police resources in the town centre has been granted to help stamp out crime in the area.

Croydon Business Improvement District (BID) have pledged to continue its funding of extra police resources in the heart of Croydon.

The decision follows a restructuring of the Town Centre Police unit earlier in the year which led to a change in the number of constables policing the area.

The town has benefitted from additional police resources since 2008 when the BID and the Metropolitan Police entered into a joint-funding agreement which led to BID paying for five extra police officers.

It means the total number of dedicated town centre police officers is up to 22.

Matthew Sims, Croydon BID Chief Executive, said: “This is great news for all those working and doing business here in Croydon.

“It sends out an extremely strong and positive message about the BID’s continued commitment to tackling crime and improving perceptions of safety, no matter what time of day people visit.

He added: “Safety and security remains the BID’s number one priority and our partnership with the Metropolitan Police has served us extremely well over the years in achieving that.

“We look forward to working closely with the police to build on those achievements.”

Deputy Borough Commander, Superintendent Rob Atkin said: “It’s fantastic news that Croydon BID has agreed to continue to fund extra police officers for the Town Centre area and that our partnership will be continuing.

“As well as funding the extra police officers, Croydon BID also plays an important role in bringing together local businesses with ourselves and other agencies so that we can all work towards reducing crime and antisocial behaviour in the Town Centre.”