The number of police officers patrolling Croydon town centre has dwindled by two thirds as resources are moved elsewhere to tackle serious violence and gang crime.

One sergeant and seven constables typically now take to the street on weekend nights, down from a sergeant and 21 constables just two months ago.

It follows an operation launched in Thornton Heath following the murder of aspiring rapper Mujaahid Wilson in March.

Police have stepped up patrols to reassure the public amid fears of “intimidation” by gangs of youths following the 20-year-old’s stabbing.

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Acting Sergeant Howard Brown, who leads the community tasking team that polices the town centre, said the redistribution of resources had forced a change in strategy.

But he warned: “Without a doubt the old model was working better.”

Sgt Brown said: “When it comes to the policing plan for the town centre, night-time economy in particular, we used to have quite a lot of resources, a lot of officers in the town centre being highly visible.

“The older model was way more high visibility, officers were out on foot wearing high-vis jackets, staggered along the high street.

“But that we can only maintain for so long, especially when there are other things going on in the borough, ultimately where there are stabbings and gangs.

“The idea was we were there early and throughout the night we would speak to people as they leave the clubs. It wasn’t just about preventing crime but it was also about getting people home safely.”

“Now, under the new model officers will be out on mobile patrols responding to calls as they come out.”

But he added: “That doesn’t mean we can’t up the numbers during the night, if the town centre becomes really quite busy and the officers that are down there are busy and are arresting people then we can call up another sergeant and they can send [the team] down to help.

“It doesn’t mean we are less concerned about what is going on in the town centre. Figures wise, violence with injury has fallen so that in itself is a good thing, but ultimately this comes down to resources.”

Sgt Brown said in the past 18 months the rate of serious crimes had fallen in the town centre but minor arrests still took up officers’ time.

He said: “If you look at the types of arrests there tend to be a lot of drunk and disorderly arrests and assaults.

“In terms of officers I would most likely lose two officers if there was one person being arrested for drunk and disorderly.

“Realistically if they go to custody it is at least two and a half hours that I lose officers for, now if that is half one in the morning that is pretty much the shift and I won’t see those officers again.”

Croydon police have previously come under fire from nightclub and venue owners who believed heavy-handed policing was deterring people from visiting the town centre.

Following the force’s failed application to tighten restrictions on Croydon High Street’s Dice Bar, where police claimed “patrons are regularly put at risk of harm”, venue owners spoke out against the force saying there had been a complete breakdown in their relationship with officers.

But Louise Sainsbury, co-owner of Club 88 degrees in High Street, said her patrons felt safer when the police were more visible.

“I’ve worked in Croydon for the last five years and in the last 18 months it is the best it has been. In the last six weeks we have seen it get a bit worse because people don’t see the police as much.”

Connor Lawton, manager of SLVR bar and club in Surrey Street, also said a higher police presence was better for the area.

“The main problem we have are people we don’t let in hanging around outside the area.

“I’m happy to have more police, it gives me peace of mind to see them around.”