Results are in: Croydon BID business crime survey calls for stronger partnerships to build a safer, more confident town centre

Croydon’s business community is calling for a renewed focus on safety, visibility, and collaboration following the release of the 2025 Croydon BID Business Crime Survey.

The survey responses highlights both the challenges local businesses face – with more than half of respondents (53%) reporting an increase in crime affecting their business over the past 12 months – and the opportunities that exist to work collectively towards a safer, more welcoming town centre.

Produced by Croydon Business Improvement District (BID), which represents over 400 town centre businesses, the annual survey gathered insights from 117 participants across various sectors.

The survey report provides a clear picture of how crime, safety perceptions, and confidence in local services are shaping the town centre experience for businesses, while giving Croydon BID and its partners a valuable perspective on the areas that need attention to better support the local business community.

Click here to read the Croydon Town Centre Business Crime Report 2025.

Concerns About Crime and Its Impact

More than half of respondents (53%) reported an increase in crime affecting their business over the past 12 months, with the top concerns being drug-related activity (66%), rough sleeping in the town centre (61%), and knife crime or gang violence (58%).

Looking specifically at retailers, 73% reported being victims of shoplifting at least once a week and nearly half (46%) said staff had faced assaults or threats. The combined financial impact of these crimes was estimated at £2.5 million, averaging £21,000 per business.

While these figures highlight the pressures facing local traders, they are not unique to Croydon and reflect wider London trends. Croydon BID says they also present an opportunity to strengthen partnerships and target efforts where they can have the greatest impact.

Town centres and high streets face a range of challenges, particularly around crime, and Croydon is no exception. More widely, 56% of respondents identified key concerns, including antisocial behaviour, violence, and street begging, all of which are placing significant pressure on their businesses. The rising levels of shoplifting, staff threats, and violence are not confined to Croydon; they reflect a national and London-wide surge in retail crime. Official data shows shoplifting offences in England and Wales reached 529,994 offences last year, up 13% on previous year. While initiatives like the Croydon BID Street Rangers, the Croydon BID Radio Link, and coordinated safety patrols with the Metropolitan Police are making progress, there is still much more to do. We must advocate for greater change and investment into areas that support the reduction of crime and anti-social behaviour.

Matthew Sims, Chief Executive, Croydon BID

Rebuilding Confidence and Visibility

A majority of businesses (83%) said they would like to see an increased police presence, and 76% called for more visible safety teams, such as Croydon BID’s Street Rangers. At the same time, the survey revealed that many businesses still have confidence in local policing, with 35% agreeing that the Metropolitan Police are doing a good job, compared with 25% who disagreed.

Businesses across our town centres and high streets, including Croydon, are coming under increasing pressure. There is strong positive partnership work taking place but there is still a serious need to deploy greater resources, improve visibility, and strengthen the relationship between frontline police teams and our communities. However, police abstraction levels remain a major concern and too often, local officers are pulled away from Croydon and other outer London boroughs to focus on other needs required in the capital. While there is an acceptance of the need and the demand, this must be proportionate across all boroughs, ensuring destinations such as Croydon retain the volume of officers required to police our streets and communities effectively.

Matthew Sims, Chief Executive, Croydon BID

The Look and Feel of Croydon

Beyond crime itself, businesses also linked perceptions of safety to the town’s physical environment. Over half (57%) said they feel unsafe or very unsafe in Croydon town centre (based on its appearance and overall environment), and three-quarters (75%) felt the overall look and feel had not improved over the past year.

Croydon BID says improving the day-to-day experience of the town centre, from cleanliness to lighting and street activity, will be key to boosting public confidence.

The look and feel of Croydon town centre has a real impact on how safe and welcome people feel. To boost confidence, we need to get the basics right, which includes well-maintained streets, good lighting, and active public spaces. We are starting to see progress across the town centre, but investment must be maintained if we are to not only improve standards but maintain them. Demonstrating commitment, Croydon BID is investing even more in to improving our current cleansing services to expand its reach across the town centre, supported by the local authority. By combining this with strong policing and visible safety measures, we can create a cleaner, more vibrant, and inviting town centre that residents, visitors, and businesses can all be proud of.

Matthew Sims, Chief Executive, Croydon BID

Working Together for Change

In response to the findings, Croydon BID has set out a series of priorities designed to strengthen local collaboration and investment. These include:

Advocating for additional police resources for both day and night-time economies.
Encouraging limits on police abstraction, so Croydon retains more of its local officers.
Expanding cleansing operations to enhance the town centre’s appearance.
Enhancing communication and training between police, businesses, and BID safety teams.

In representing the business community of Croydon town centre, Croydon BID is enhancing its investment in jointly funded police operations to improve visibility and response. There is no denying the need for far greater investment into safety resources to provide a robust response to making our streets safer for the long-term – a message we have communicated to Sarah Jones MP, Minister of State for Policing and Crime.

We have taken further steps to enhance the Croydon BID Rangers this festive season on top of the annual 8,360 hours of additional patrols provided through our service. Supported by the Croydon BID Radio Link, providing a direct link with the business community, we are making real progress in providing much needed safety support to the town centre.

Working alongside Croydon Council’s Town Centre Taskforce and other local partners, these efforts aim to maintain public spaces, respond quickly to incidents, and improve communication across the town centre.

We must understand the fundamental basic needs of our town centre. The need to respond to the needs quickly and efficiently but also to invest in the future so that we can raise standards and keep them there. The safety of our places and the improved look and feel go hand in hand. As we have shown many times before, collective partnership on a single focus of driving down crime and anti-social behaviour while improving the general look and feel of the town centre is imperative. What is equally as important is the need to maintain the standards. In doing so, together, we can restore confidence, revitalise our town centre, and unlock the potential that Croydon and our town centre truly deserves.

Matthew Sims, Chief Executive, Croydon BID

The message from Croydon’s business community is clear: progress will come through partnership – and with commitment from all sides, Croydon’s best days lie ahead.