Crime hotspot: the Metropolitan Police says that it has already increased officers on patrol in central Croydon
The Metropolitan Police has ruled out the possibility of deploying Live Facial Recognition cameras to deter crime and anti-social behaviour on Surrey Street, Croydon’s ancient street market in the town centre.
Some traders say that they were told last week that Fairfield, the town centre ward in which Surrey Street sits, was to get an extra four police officers to increase the number of patrols, as well as using the controversial LFR cameras among the stalls and shops along the street.
The area around Surrey Street suffers from the impact of having drug dealing in broad daylight, and it is where there have been two murders in the past two years.
Traders on Surrey Street and members of the recently formed Croydon Business Association, have been lobbying the Metropolitan Police and Croydon’s useless Mayor, Jason Perry, for more urgency in tackling the issues they encounter on a daily basis.
They say that Mayor Perry, a director of another organisation, Croydon BID, has ignored their calls and tried to exclude them from town centre meetings.
One long-established shop, Dabners, the pets store, was due to close for a final time at the weekend, its owners blaming high rates of shoplifting, threats of violence against staff and declining footfall on Surrey Street for their decision to shut up shop.
Closing?: Has Dabners sold its last dog bed and can of cat food? It was due to close for good on Saturday
It is 18 months since the murder of Rijkaard Siafa by Fellmonger’s Yard, yet no additional CCTV, as demanded by market traders, has been installed.
Live Facial Recognition cameras, a kind of artificial intelligence-enhanced system of identifying people on the street, is a highly controversial new technology. Croydon residents have been used as guinea pigs for LFR, as it has undergone trials on North End over the past two years.
Now the Met is installing Live Facial Recognition cameras on North End and London Road, the first time this measure has been taken in Britain. The cameras were originally supposed to have been installed over the course of this summer, but now the Met is describing the Croydon deployment as a “pilot scheme”, saying that it is “not permanent and cameras are not fixed”.
Well, not fixed to any walls or buildings, it seems. The Met has begun briefing that Croydon’s LFR cameras will be “mounted on street furniture…”, potentially meaning lampposts, “… rather than on vans”.
Trader concerns: Jose Joseph, chair of the Croydon Business Association and stall-holder on Surrey Street, has had his calls for urgent action ignored
The cameras will only be switched on when officers are utilising the technology in the area, the Met insists.
The Met appears to have become more concerned about criticism it has received from civil rights groups over LFR, and the fact that its use remains unsupported by any legislation.
The police publicises details around the date, time and location of each LFR deployment, and even puts up signs in the area. “In no way is this a covert tactic,” a source at the Metropolitan Police has insisted.
The Met, meanwhile, has between four and six LFR vans, to use at events or locations around the capital where it sees fit. It has, however, reconsidered plans to use LFR at this weekend’s Notting Hill Carnival, following community concerns.
And it appears that Surrey Street Market won’t be getting a visit from the LFR vans any time soon, either.
A spokesperson for the Met told Inside Croydon: “We are aware of residents’ and shop-owners’ concerns in Fairfield and are increasing police presence in the area to tackle crime and protect the community.”
The Met says that reports of shoplifting incidents have reduced by “nearly one-third” in Croydon in the last six months.
“We will be going further with enhanced police and partner activity this summer targeting wanted and prolific offenders, particularly for offences including shoplifting and anti-social behaviour.”
Warning signs: the Met denies that Live Facial Recognition is used as a covert operation
Fairfield and Broad Green wards are two of Croydon’s busiest areas and consequently have larger teams of police officers: each has one sergeant, five constables and five PCSOs (full-time police community support officers).
There is also an additional, permanent town centre team made up of three sergeants, 21 constables and an inspector.
“There are no current proposals to change the number of officers in these areas,” the Met spokesperson said. With significant budgetary pressures, the Met recently announced spending cuts, job losses and the closure of 18 police station front desks, although not Croydon’s.
Croydon is one of 20 town centres and high streets across London that have “enhanced” police and partner activity this summer. “This includes increased police patrols and intelligence-led plain-clothed operations in hotspot areas,” the Met has said.
Read more: Surrey Street traders give Mayor Perry their own shopping list
Read more: 10,000 sign Liberty petition against facial recognition cameras
Read more: £10,000 reward to catch man wanted for Surrey Street murder
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Most probably could not process the extra trade at the police station
Looks like Dabners has been saved.
https://www.reddit.com/r/croydon/comments/1mt0d5n/dabners_pet_shop_in_surrey_street_to_continue/
Thanks, Paul.
Just a minor clarification folks. PCSOs are full time uniformed police community support officers with limited powers. (True they may be deployed elsewhere possibly but they’d usually be dedicated to the ward full time). The part time officers are warranted volunteer Special Constables with full police powers quite often confused with PCSOs since the PCSOs were introduced in the late 90’s.
That is such a shame . Any easy way of policing a troubled area very dear to me . So sad to see historic established business closing down in part and mainly because of crime and theft in an area of little or no police presence . If we cannot afford Mr Plod then surely this solution has to be overall the most cost effective . We need to protect our public areas , local and retail businesses or .. we are all doomed … doomed I say
The town centre definitely needs enforcement…but so do the neighbourhood areas. It feels like they want to fix the facade of Croydon I.E. what visitors see but meanwhile the streets residents actually live on are lawless.
I no longer go and shop in central Croydon due to the amount of beggars and general running down of the whitgift centre, preferring to patronise Bromley.
We all enjoy patronising Bromley.
I think it’s the ‘number’ of beggars. Please say who is ‘running down’ the Whitgift
The second question is easily answered: Westfield
Running down as in the quantity and the quality of shop in Croydon so many now shut central Croydon is a shadow of its former self and has suffered far more than Bromley.
Joseph doing amazing work for local community.
Better than any useless Labour councillors.