Croydon BID leads crime and safety walkabout with Minister of State as local businesses call for stronger policing and support

Croydon BID recently hosted Sarah Jones MP, Minister of State for Policing and Crime, for a town centre safety walkabout, highlighting the growing concerns of local businesses.

Croydon Business Improvement District (BID) hosted Sarah Jones MP, Minister of State for Policing and Crime, for a town centre safety walkabout, engaging local businesses and senior Metropolitan Police officers to highlight the concerns and issues facing businesses today and to discuss how, in partnership, we may drive down crime and anti-social behaviour in our town centre.

The visit coincided with the release of Croydon BID’s 2025 Business Crime Survey, which revealed that over half (53%) of local businesses experienced increased crime over the past year, ranging from shoplifting and staff assaults to drug dealing and gang activity.

During the two-hour walkabout, Sarah Jones MP for West Croydon, Superintendent Luke Dillon, local Metropolitan Police officers, and Croydon BID representatives, visited businesses across education, retail, hospitality, and corporate sectors. Sarah Jones MP met with Croydon BID members Croydon College, Marks & Spencer, HSBC, Specsavers, The Ludoquist, Crown & Pepper, The Dog, Mott MacDonald, and CBRE, as well as Centrale and Whitgift Shopping Centres.

The walkabout offered businesses a direct opportunity to share their experiences, highlight the impact of crime on staff and customers, and discuss solutions with local police and government representatives. Key issues raised during the walkabout included:

Need for Greater Police Visibility

Considering the experiences and impact of crime on our streets, it would not be a surprise to most to hear of the need for increased police officers walking the beat, offering more direct support and engagement as high on the agenda. Croydon College emphasised the urgent need for greater day-to-day police visibility in and around the campus, noting persistent problems with drug dealing, anti-social behaviour, and associated gang activity. Their concerns align with findings from the 2025 Croydon BID Business Crime Survey, in which 62% of businesses said that a stronger and more consistent police presence would most improve safety, and more than half reported rising crime over the past year.

Businesses repeatedly highlighted that visible policing is essential not only to deter criminal activity, but also to restore confidence among staff, students, and customers – particularly during early mornings and evenings, when many report feeling unsafe. As highlighted by the Croydon BID Business Crime survey 2025, 83% of respondents want to see more police presence, and 76% would like more visible safety teams such as Croydon BID’s Street Rangers.

Croydon BID raised concerns over police abstractions, where officers are frequently redeployed to Central London for events, protests, and large-scale operations. A more proportionate approach to abstractions is needed to ensure Croydon retains enough officers to respond effectively to local crime trends and community priorities.

Protecting the Night-Time Economy

Hospitality businesses expressed deep concern about the decline of the night-time economy, warning that a lack of visible policing – particularly after dark – is accelerating falling footfall and undermining consumer confidence. This comes at a time when the sector is already under severe pressure: across the UK, an average of two licensed venues has been closing every day in the first half of 2025, continuing a multi-year national decline.

The Crown & Pepper reported increasing operating costs with a greater need to increase security and door staff to cover an insufficient level of policing in our town centre at night.

We forget the night-time economy at our peril. London’s night-time economy is vital to the capital’s cultural identity and economic output. Businesses argued that Croydon must receive targeted investment and policing resources that reflect its role as a regional destination. To reverse the cycle of decline, greater policing resources were needed to restore confidence, attract higher footfall and spend and investment.

Rising Shoplifting and Aggression

As has been widely reported, retailers referenced escalating shoplifting, aggression, and organised theft, with some businesses altering working hours to allow staff to travel home safely.

The British Retail Consortium concluded that incidents of violence and abuse against retail staff rose to over 2,000 per day in 2023-2024, up from 1,300 the previous year and more than four times the 2020 figure. Around 70 daily incidents involved weapons, more than double the previous year. This national trend is mirrored locally here in Croydon.

Retailers were keen to point out recent interventions, welcoming recent legislation making assaults on retail staff an offence while supporting not just the arrival of Live Facial Recognition technology as a deterrent but its increased use. However, they stressed that technology and legislation must be backed by sufficient on-the-ground policing, as officer abstractions still reduce the ability to tackle theft, threats, and organised crime effectively.

Our government need to recognise the challenges facing our town centres and high streets. They need to understand the needs and address them with greater investment into policing resources to restore confidence back to our businesses, consumers and streets. Welcoming Sarah Jones MP, Minister of State for Police and Fire provided Croydon BID with a valuable opportunity for her to meet with businesses and hear first-hand the issues faced by businesses on our streets. What must now follow is action and commitment to creating destinations that are safe for all to enjoy.

Matthew Sims, Chief Executive, Croydon BID

I joined Croydon BID and the Metropolitan Police for a walkabout Croydon town centre, meeting with businesses to discuss the impacts of crime. There are clear issues to be addressed but seeing local police in action working closely with businesses, residents and Croydon BID shows me that we are on the right path. This Government is reforming police, strengthening neighbourhood policing and deploying more officers across Croydon. Since we came into office knife murders are down 18%, showing sustained, targeted action makes a difference.

Sarah Jones, MP for Croydon West

The walkabout provided a valuable opportunity to hear from businesses, understand and contextualise their concerns and help us focus policing activity. Having Sarah Jones MP join us on the walkabout gave businesses the opportunity to have their voices heard both by local police and within government. I am grateful for the opportunity to join Croydon BID, continuing the strong partnership we have focused on crime and safety in the town centre.

Luke Dillon, Superintendent, South Area BCU, Metropolitan Police

Working Together for Change

The combination of the recent Croydon Business Crime Survey 2025, the walkabout wit Sarah Jones MP and the discussions with business, demonstrate a need to make improvements. In partnership, Croydon BID is committed to:

Advocating for additional police resources
Croydon BID is calling for more officers to support both the daytime and night-time economies. The 2025 Business Crime Survey highlighted that 62% of businesses identified increased police presence as the most important factor to improve safety. Greater officer numbers would provide visible reassurance, boost confidence among staff and visitors, deter crime and anti-social behaviour, and offer more proactive support to high streets and town centres, making Croydon a safer and more welcoming destination for all.
Limiting police abstractions
The Metropolitan Police Service faces significant pressure due to events, protests, and other deployments, often requiring officers to be redeployed away from their local boroughs. Croydon BID is advocating for a more proportionate abstraction model, ensuring outer London boroughs like Croydon retain enough officers on local streets. This approach would ensure Croydon maintains a strong and consistent policing presence, better protect businesses and consumers, reducing both crime and anti-social behaviour.
Enhancing partnership working with the Police
Given the strain on policing resources and the growing challenges facing high streets, Croydon BID is focused on strengthening collaboration between businesses, police, and BID safety teams. By working together, organisations can bridge gaps, respond more effectively to incidents, and deliver tangible safety improvements for local communities.

Croydon BID has already taken proactive steps to support town centre safety, including regular Jointly funded operations to increase police visibility; Boosting the BID Street Ranger service during the festive season; and facilitating direct communication through the Croydon BID Radio Link.

In the past 10 years, Croydon BID has invested £2.15m into supporting safety initiatives and services for Croydon town centre, reflecting our long-standing commitment to protecting businesses and the wider community.

Recognising that there is still more to be done, Croydon BID will continue to work closely with partners, including the Metropolitan Police and Croydon Council, to deliver lasting improvements in crime prevention, public safety, and confidence across the town centre.