Croydon trader fears violence in town centre is driving customers away
By Tara O’Connor, Local Democracy Reporter
A Croydon market trader said fears of violence and antisocial behaviour in the town centre are driving customers away.
Jose Joseph has run a fruit and veg stall in Surrey Street Market for 15 years.
The 46-year-old has called for more CCTV and police patrols in a petition which has been signed 70 times, mostly by businesses in and close to Surrey Street Market.
The petition was addressed to Croydon’s Mayor Jason Perry, Fairfield ward councillors and Croydon Central MP Sarah Jones.
He said: “This area is getting worse and worse. Every day there is a lot of violence and fighting.
“It is not a good atmosphere for businesses here, the customers are scared to come to the market and other places, they feel unsafe – we also feel unsafe.
“If they don’t do anything it will become worse than West Croydon.”
The market trader claimed a young teenager who brandished a knife hid in his storage unit in Surrey Street only a few weeks ago.
Mr Joseph has three children aged 17, 15 and five and fears for their safety growing up in the area.
He said: “My kids are growing up in this community, they get this negative energy in their life. My kids would go shopping at 6 or 7pm but now my wife tells them, ‘don’t go outside after it is dark’.
“I am very grateful to this community and I always talk to the police officers, but there is just not enough of them.”
There are more than 90 CCTV cameras across Croydon which are monitored from a central control room in Thornton Heath.
A list shows there are two in Surrey Street, one at the junction of Crown Hill and the other at the High Street junction.
Croydon council wants to roll out a public space protection order (PSPO) across the town centre and parts of Broad Green and South Croydon. It would give police extra powers to confiscate open alcohol containers.
Minutes of a Scrutiny and Overview Committee meeting in September said: “It was questioned whether the CCTV system in the borough was sufficient to support the PSPO.
“It was confirmed that the CCTV was being upgraded and data had been used to ensure it provided good coverage of anti-social behaviour hotspots. Mobile cameras were also available to be deployed as needed.”
Pictured top: Jose Joseph has run a fruit and veg stall at Surrey Street Market for 15 years (Picture: Tara O’Connor)
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