papers only report whats happening! The fear we have comes from the escalation of violent crime but the police seem more interested in sitting in their cars waiting for someone to drive past on the phone (to earn them money in Fines) or patrolling areas where traffic signals are so missleading they can catch people performing "illegal" manouvers (earning money in fines)etc etc. The real criminals are the rapists, muggers, burglars & Murderers who DO exist in our borough! & the even greater fear is, should they be caught, The courts let them off with a slapped wrist! That has nothing to do with reporting of the facts & everything to do with lack of respect for the law abidding population in Surrey!

I was at that meeting and I don't know who those upset community workers were at that group, because I never heard them speak up. I heard everyone else speak up against negative reporting, though. Compared with other boroughs, there is very little crime in Croydon and it is a wonderful place to work and live in. I have lived in many other areas - Bromley, Chelsey, Islington, Sutton, Sydenham, Camberwell, Beckenham, Romford - but I will certainly never move away from Croydon now. We have wonderful shops - Allders, House of Fraser, a fantastic library, theatres, cinemas, concert hall, golf courses, lovely parks to walk our dogs, children;s play areas, pedestrianised areas, cafes with tables and chairs outside, restaurants of every nationality serving exciting food and drink. I have visited towns up North which are great for tourists, except on Saturday nights, when there is a lot of crime - but crime in Croydon is nowhere near as high. We have a wonderful police force, Safer Neighbourhood Teams, Neighbourhood Enforcement Officers. We also have an excellent Council. I teach in Adult Education here and I love it. So - please - no more of these ridiculous negative comments - I think some of you are quite blind.

"His views were also suppoted by the group's chairman Graham Speed, which raised questions about the panel's supposedly independent status."

Mr Gore needs to go out in Croydon in plain clothes on his own, travel on bus, train and tram and then we'll see if he still feels the same.

As for Graham Speed, I have no doubt he sat there nodding and offering the approval from the Divine Right of Speed.

The entire Group, funded by public money is a total waste of financial and police resources. That these persons can influence policing, when they nothing about it, is very worrying.

Less crime in Croydon than that perceived? Quick duck, there goes another flight of pigs over the Borough.

ANNE GILES wrote:
I was at that meeting and I don't know who those upset community workers were at that group, because I never heard them speak up. I heard everyone else speak up against negative reporting, though. Compared with other boroughs, there is very little crime in Croydon and it is a wonderful place to work and live in. I have lived in many other areas - Bromley, Chelsey, Islington, Sutton, Sydenham, Camberwell, Beckenham, Romford - but I will certainly never move away from Croydon now. We have wonderful shops - Allders, House of Fraser, a fantastic library, theatres, cinemas, concert hall, golf courses, lovely parks to walk our dogs, children;s play areas, pedestrianised areas, cafes with tables and chairs outside, restaurants of every nationality serving exciting food and drink. I have visited towns up North which are great for tourists, except on Saturday nights, when there is a lot of crime - but crime in Croydon is nowhere near as high. We have a wonderful police force, Safer Neighbourhood Teams, Neighbourhood Enforcement Officers. We also have an excellent Council. I teach in Adult Education here and I love it. So - please - no more of these ridiculous negative comments - I think some of you are quite blind.

& some of you are obviously "Hyacinth Bucket" - living in a world totally removed from the truth!

This is just nonsense.

Bring Vicki Marr back ASAP - she was harmless; this latest one is a mistake waiting to happen IMHO.

Vicki Marr didn't communicate. Mark Gore does. As for saying that I live in a world totally removed from the truth - that is rubbish. Unlike Mr. and Mrs. Average, who go to work and come home and watch TV, I am out and about in different parts of the Borough most of the time (except when I am asleep). As for using public transport, I am sure Mark Gore and many of the other officers do use the train. So do I. I had a lovely journey into London today and back on our nice new trains - very comfortable.

Sarah's post is as stupid as the paper's peabrained reporters who write such nonsence.

I always thought Anne lived on another planet now it has been confirmed

What on earth has someone living in Tooting got to do with Croydon?

facts are facts, i'm glad the papers let us know what's going on. i can see, hear, and feel this crime on my doorstep. i wish it was made up but sadly it isn't. just because i've been lucky to not bear any of it doesn't mean it doesn't happen. a friend of mine who was walking home from work was beaten and had his jaw broken in random attack at 9pm on sutton high street. he was alone, minding his own business, and for no reason 3 young guys jumped him for a laugh. didn't even rob him. he didn't report it to the police because the police will not bother. we don't feel like the police will protect us so we don't rely on them. this inocent guy just went to the hospital, got treatment, then went back to work a few days later. shame, but it's not isolated. seems good guys get it and roaming animals get away with it. we have to shut ourselves in after a certain hour and they take the streets. if cops were on a beat like the good old days then maybe thugs wouldn't be so blatant...they do it because they know that they can get away with it and no police will be anywhere near to stop them. a policeman would never understand, he has a badge and cop car to keep him safer. the ordinary middle class guy is the one who feels the fear. he's the one worrying about his children walking home from school. his wife on a bus. his life when coming home after dark at night.

Mr Gore should fix the problem then. He is the borough commander, yet all I see him doing is having his photo taken.

Central Croydon is a no go area after 3pm because of the gangs. The police go home - probably afraid.

The BID (businesses in Central Croydon) are so concerned they are paying EXTRA for another town centre team.

This is not acceptable. The town should be safe without extra police being 'bought' in.

Ken Livingstone has put up our council tax to pay for a huge increase in police numbers.

What has Mark Gore done with them????

Anne Giles said "...there is very little crime in Croydon and it is a wonderful place to work and live in. ... golf courses, lovely parks to walk our dogs, children;s play areas ... "

Do you also see 4 colourful, chubby little fellows with strange symbols on their heads, Anne?

It looks like you've confused Croydon with Telly Tubbies, Anne.

I would agree that poor reporting gives a lopside view of crime levels,and both the papers and the broadcasters fail to give the full facts about crime levels and go for the figures that may have increased and ignore the figures that show an improvement.

ANNE GILES wrote:
Vicki Marr didn't communicate. Mark Gore does. As for saying that I live in a world totally removed from the truth - that is rubbish. Unlike Mr. and Mrs. Average, who go to work and come home and watch TV, I am out and about in different parts of the Borough most of the time (except when I am asleep). As for using public transport, I am sure Mark Gore and many of the other officers do use the train. So do I. I had a lovely journey into London today and back on our nice new trains - very comfortable.

I like being "Ms Average", I like being at work & contributing to society & I would also like to think that my contributing & being a citizen affords me some protection from Violent crime! Reporting of these incidents is not what worries me, as I said - its the fear of the police not bothering to work on "hard to solve" crimes or even when they do, the penalties handed out by the courts are totally inadequate! Anne Giles, Are you for real? Your comments are illinformed, argumentative, snobby & stuck-up. I am sooooo Glad you do not count yourself as being like me! I'm happy to be Ms Average!

Decent people in Croydon can fight back! Crime is solved using facts and information. If anyone knows of those who are in one Croydons criminal gangs, selling drugs, carrying knives, assaulting people, shoplifting, comitting burglaries etc. Then report them either over the phone or on the internet to the Metropolitan Police (Safer Neighbourhood Policing anonymous form) or Crimestoppers Web Site/ Phone line! Even the DVLA have an anonymous form on the internet to report Cars without Tax being used on the road. So report these people who make everyones life a nightmare!!

I take an interest in Croydon because my daughter lives there with her husband and children,Anne, so I think I can give an opinion. Try telling Linda Bowman that Croydon is a safe place to live.

I cannot understand how anyone can say that Croydon is unsafe after 3 p.m. I am often there at 3 p.m., 4 p.m., 5 p.m., and I see nothing untoward happening. Also - many of you say you don't report things because you imagine police can't be bothered. They can only be bothered IF YOU REPORT THINGS. How are they supposed to know what goes on if you keep silent? Your Safer Neighbourhood Team has an e-mail address and a 'phone number. Whatever you see or hear should be sent on to them. If a child tells you that a shop is selling alcohol or cigarettes to underage children, then report it. If you see graffiti, report it. If information about any illegal activity comes your way - it is your duty to report it. Police DO want to know. It is up to all of us to be community minded and to help one another and to help the police, instead of moaning non-stop on these posts.

Ann Giles, like members of the current government, seems to be in a state of denial.

Back to 'Laa-Laa' (or Tinky-Winky?) land is it, Anne?

As long as everything's nice and safe and 'comfy' in your world then it must be okay everywhere must it?

Well, my husband and I were in the main shopping area in Selsdon this p.m., when we came across our hard working Sergeants from the Heathfield and Selsdon SN teams, along with several other officers and they told us they were heading along towards a gang to disperse them and make a couple of arrests. Police presence is always visible in our area and they are obviously doing their jobs properly. The rest of you seem to be blind.

Well Anne, as I have previously stated there are huge differences between the South of Croydon and the North.I visited Croydon town centre today, not through choice, something I normally avoid. Today I was reminded of why I avoid it. I can understand why we never see a policeman in my area because they are all needed there! You state that you spend most of your time out and about in the borough except when sleeping. Obviously your many comments are added when in a dream like state. This is not meant as apersonal attack but Jo Public do report crimes and misdemeanours. Maybe because the police have such a huge task at hand "petty" crime is not dealt with. This is why people object to Mr Gores' comments.I personally feel the nespapers do not always report on crime enough. It is there, it is happening, we do need to read about it and be aware of the environment we live in. Being a parent, I want to know if an area is relatively safe for my child to visit or who they should mix with. The police are trying to do a good job but you know what they say about silk purses. Maybe Gordon and his chums should spend more time looking at what is going on rather than shopping trips to John Lewis!

We should all move to Selsdon. Perhaps not, though, because Selsdon's time is coming! There comes a time when the suburbs become part of the whole(as regards crime). I feel sorry for those who have no choice but to stay put.

Of course the local paper should report crime issues. As a general rule it is what concerns people the most. The local paper is also important to let people know how to assist the police. It is not a publicity tool for the police who already waste vast sums of money on advertising. I noted a recent article said the Met spent something like £22,000 for every community support officer recruited. How on earth can that be justified?

We have a government which doesn't care two hoots for the indigenous population. But, then, why should they when it's votes that count.

I wonder what word has been blanked out of jon's post? I suspect he is a racist and racism is one of the nastiest crimes on this planet.

So our unseen Chief Police officer Mr Gore blames the press for creating the fear of crime in Croydon...Why is it that he failes to go out with his own(our) Police Beat officers as past chief of Croydon Police did.
He is only ever seen in the press with a big SMILE on but fails time and time again to see for himself the crimes taking place in Croydon-especialy in the North of our Bourough!!!!
As for Mr Speeds chairmanship of the CCPPC is a farce he is in the pockets of the Council and the Police when he should be acting as an independant factual voice and the sooner he departs for pasters new the better!!!!
What we nead is MORE reporting of Crime in our papers and our Police acting again as criminal catchers not social workers, and putting more criminals befor the courts.
The fact is that the only people who have NO FEAR OF CRIME in Croydon are the Criminals.

What a load of rubbish - and, by the way, pasters is not a word. It should be "pastures". Spelling, please!!

No - we don't need more reporting of crime in the newspapers - we need nice stories. It is only the very uneducated who seem to thrive on tabloid drivel. This is why they watch silly soaps on TV instead of reading a good book or going out to the cinema, theatre or a decent concert - or doing something helpful in the community such as Neighbourhood Watch. We don't want Mark Gore walking the streets - we need him in his office doing what he is paid to do. Nothing wrong with Graham Speed either. Now stop writing such utter drivel.

AHF
needs to get her facts strait...its not only the Tabloid
who are against the policing of crime in Croydon and london as a whole us odinery ratepayers housholders and our youngsters who are also afraid of going out at night...the police including Mr Gore should go out on our streets and make them safe again...Mr Gore already spends most of his time in his office and has no idea of what his police are up to when they go out on a beat...if they in fact do so now..having left this task to the overpaid PSCO's who do nothing but quote the health & Safty regulations...
the police are themselves frigtend to patrol alone...when was the last time you or anyone have seen a single(I dont mean an unmared pc on the beat...if they are afraid to walk the walk alone what about Us...?

Graham Speed and Mark Gore are out of touch.

A violent robbery took place at the end of my street a few months ago - it has not been mentioned in the local press, despite police involvement.

Yes, fear of crime can run ahead of actual crime levels. But the almost daily reports of shootings, stabbings and beatings and the tally of 26+ teenage deaths last year in London make you realise things are very bad indeed.

Press censorship and giving things a positive spin won't help matters - tackling crime effectively will.

Well, ARABELLA, let's hope they don't damage your rose-tinted spectacles as beat you mercilessly to take your chattels from you. Let's pretend everything's fine in sunny Croydon - or do you live in Teletubbyland with ANNE?

Is it a coincidence that both you, ARABELLA HAMILTON FORTESCUE, and ANNE GILES, SELSDON feel the need to capitalise your names? Latent inferiority complexes perhaps?

We can take comfort that Croydon has not yet reached the depths of certain inner London boroughs but it's only a matter of time. Our politicians certainly have a lot to answer for.

ANNE GILES wrote:

racism is one of the nastiest crimes on this planet

Oh? You'd preferred to be mugged or stabbed, you mean?

common sense wrote:

Croyboy wrote: ANNE GILES wrote:

racism is one of the nastiest crimes on this planet

Oh? You\'d preferred to be mugged or stabbed, you mean?

With generalized comments like that it is no wonder that so many of the people you refer to refuse to call themselves english, yet what colour are most serial killers & paedophiles?

What are you doing then other than generalizing? Perhaps we should all move to leafy Surrey then we'd all be happy. Or Selsdon?

I have lived in North and South Croydon for many years, and have definitely seen an increase in antisocial behaviour. I see violent altercations in the afternoon on the High Street, and school children behaving like animals.
Never mind the police, where are their parents?
Anne - have you been on a bus with school kids, and they are cattle trucks not lovely trains.

Having lived in Brixton my whole life,i moved to Croydon a year ago thinking things might be a bit less hectic than i was used to,i always used to enjoy shopping in Croydon and like Anne Giles points out,seems to have its fair share of amenities.
However,i am totally shocked,appauled and sickened to the bottom of my stomach of what i have witnessed and experienced. I am the father of a 12 year old with autism and my son will no longer go out the front door by himself. I live in the part of North Croydon which backs onto Mitcham and Thornton Heath which is an area of "MASS SOCIAL DEPRAIVATION" as described in an "Ofsted" school report about the main school in the area,so just who is Anne Giles trying to kid, I can tell you,in one year within 1 mile of my house there have been 2 murders on the victims doorsteps,a rape in the supposed lovely park,several high profile robberies and frequent muggings and beatings among the youth that far outstrip anything i experienced whilst living in Brixton.
In addition,i have had a confession from a local community support officer that crime is getting worse and spiralling out of control as is the behaviour in all Croydons schools.
Unlike Brixton,where the police appear to have a very firm grip on public order AND DO NOT LIE about the problems that exist,Croydon epitomises everything that exists in Broken Britain at the moment.
Its not just the crime,its the standards which are appauling. Anne Giles should just talk a walk down the Mitcham Road and smell the air and the foul stench of the drains which are the councils responsibilty but they have managed to blame on a sewer nearby. So why do the drains fill up and flood the street after fairly normal downpours of rain? Anybody who lives in the area will confirm this awful cover up and the disease that is spreading. Me and my son now have reactive arthiritis following a severe stomach infection caught from the drains as shigella bacteria is present as confirmed by medical tests and more people in the area discovering that they have also been diagnosed with this.
Special Educational Needs are diabolical in the schools,my son has been assaulted 5 times in lessons (one occaision quite seriously,and i have to rely on him to inform me whats really going on in the school.
What i`m getting at is that there is a huge cover up by the staff to inform parents of the reality of how grim the normal levels of behaviour have become in Croydons classrooms. I`ve even been blatently lied too by a deputy head and guess what? Just like Anne Giles,you hear the same rubbish of how sunny and marvellous everything is in Croydon. The reality is its a breeding ground for the next wave of crime thats going to bite them all back,every single day i hear of more shocking incidents that are just hushed up and blamed onto something else,just like Mr Gore`s comments,blamestormi

ng and no relevance to the problem at hand and no protection to the public whatsoever from the "soon to be out of control" levels of crime.
For the record Anne Giles,Croydon is officially a blackspot in the UK,with banks having to adopt the highest level of security for fraud. Just check your facts and figures about the recent survey of confidence in local Councils in the UK,Croydon which is right down the bottom of the list in terms of satisfaction.
Just who exactly is blind Anne Giles? You should hang around Croydon just a bit longer on a Friday evening to see the queue of ambulances lined up ready to ferry off the first of the injured,then you should visit the Mayday to see the appauling injuries and how shocking life really is around here.
Funny enough,i have a friend who really is blind,and he turned down a move to Croydon due to its diabolical reputation for assistance to blind and disabled people in general.
Its ok for me as i`ll be moving out from here soon for the sake of my sons future and happiness,but we will never forget the horrific experience,never have i felt so unsafe or let down. It seriously needs sorting out.

Well said Jack,North Croydon is the armpit of London and treated as such by the council and police. The youth around this way are behaving like wild animals and getting away with it,and i see the Community Support Officers walking way from large gangs,they just don`t want the aggravation and are not equipped to deal with the problems. Police response times are ridiculously slow and rarely is any crime prevented,you don`t see any police when you need them round here,its a myth. I presume all the police are in Sanderstead and Selsdon as Anne Giles points out. She is typical of the "I`m alright Jack,pull the ladder up brigade" in Croydon. Double Standards for those in the more affluent areas. As a teacher,you should know better than to start telling people to go to the opticians,obviously you lack professionalism and are truly blinkered yourself. I think you are going to regret calling us all blind.

going to the moon. brb

ANNE GILES wrote:

God created us all...

Anne, what makes you think that I or others automatically subscribe to your commitment to believing in myth and superstition? Furthermore it forces one to have reservations about your intellectual capacity, and therefore to entertain doubts about your pronouncements.

we see police around all the time.

Speak for yourself: I've never seen a copper (on foot) "around" my area.

Well done Gorey you idiot! In one staggeringly stupid move you make the entire of Croydon borough police look like gutless cowards trying to shift the blame for the rise of crime rather than saying what's on the publics lips "if the judges would lock the scum up when they do something wrong then they would fear the justice system" I'm a cop in croydon, I don't ticket people for minor traffic offences or target soft options like motorists on their phones. I arrest robbers, rapists theives and Chavs. I stop and search the hoodies that are causing the fear and if you do that enough they find something else to do. (all stops are justified with grounds)It's this sort of robust policing a town like croydon needs. Not some whiner who puts in an appearance twice a week to make sure the local press hate our guts and can pass that animosity on to the public. So, really, well done mark. If it wasn't for senior officers like you there'd probably be some morale in the MET. If the met would scrap PCSO's and spend the money on real police then you'd see a difference. All they can do is call the police, correct me if i'm wrong but the public do that for free.

Well done Gorey you idiot! In one staggeringly stupid move you make the entire of Croydon borough police look like gutless cowards trying to shift the blame for the rise of crime rather than saying what's on the publics lips "if the judges would lock the scum up when they do something wrong then they would fear the justice system" I'm a cop in croydon, I don't ticket people for minor traffic offences or target soft options like motorists on their phones. I arrest robbers, rapists theives and Chavs. I stop and search the hoodies that are causing the fear and if you do that enough they find something else to do. (all stops are justified with grounds)It's this sort of robust policing a town like croydon needs. Not some whiner who puts in an appearance twice a week to make sure the local press hate our guts and can pass that animosity on to the public. So, really, well done mark. If it wasn't for senior officers like you there'd probably be some morale in the MET. If the met would scrap PCSO's and spend the money on real police then you'd see a difference. All they can do is call the police, correct me if i'm wrong but the public do that for free.

i find it strange that the loudest voice in defense of croydon as the paradise borough of london is one anne giles. yet, search out her name on this site and countless others and you'll find she is a regular curtain twitcher constantly moaning about the youth in her area throwing stones etc etc. she is also the person who constantly promotes argentina as another heaven on earth destination. clearly a very confused woman.

One thing: Take a look at the image of Mr Gore on the microphone.

Look at those staring eyes ---- do they belong to a person in control of his faculties who enjoys his work?

@ANNE GILES
I fear everyone may have been too hard on Anne. It must be particularly hard for the old dear, especially being the propoganda mouthpiece of Croydon Police. She is not in living on a cloud or in Teletubby land she is simply clutching at straws. It is my belief that she is probably an employee of either the council or the police that is trying to paint an altogether different picture of Croydon life. It is getting worse, there is lawlessness on the streets and people are rightly afraid because their police force spends more on gimmicks and rent-a-cops than they do proper police work, C.I.D not included of course, they are proper coppers.

Except she isn't old. She is someone I know well and she doesn't work for either the Council or the police. S

she isn't old. she doesn't work for either the Council or the police

fair enough. however she IS very, very confused.

patricia dennis wrote:
Except she isn't old. She is someone I know well and she doesn't work for either the Council or the police. S

She may not be old or work for the authorities, but she is totally out of touch with th reality of life today. I should imagine Ms Giles has never had to scrimp & scrape like some of us do (without rellying on benefits, before you start!),I bet she hasnt lived on an estate where you have 5 deadbolts on your door & grills behind your windows! The problem with Anne giles & the people like her, is that they form opinions & even worse, some of her kind get into power & form governments! without ever actually living in the places she writes about! Oh & let me say that by "living in", I dont mean sitting in you 3 bed semi, curtaintwitching! I mean actually living on a housing estate, working in a supermarket/fast food place & having to take your life in your hands every time you want to venture out after dark! Come & live in the real world!

This sounds very much like inverted snobbery. So if someone takes the trouble to study rather than leave school early in order to earn some cash and go boyfriend hunting - is that not a real world? If someone works really hard in order to earn enough to buy their own home - is that not the real world too? If someone chooses not to have children, but to carry on earning - can that also not be considered the real world? Life is about making choices - and we all make them. You can never assume that someone lives in a 3 bed semi or a detached house, or a castle even, or that they have time to peer out through their curtains (usually the activity of someone who is at home, rather than working). Neither can you assume that the person has never struggled or ever had to scrimp and scrape. You appear to be suffering from the most extraordinary prejudices based on pure imagination. Nobody ever knows how anyone else lives or what they have been through during the course of their lives. I have a friend who was abused and beaten as a child, suffered an abusive marriage, ended up living in one room, escaping and moving from place to place - yet that very same person is now earning a good salary and living in an extremely nice house in a lovely part of this Borough.

LOL, @ patricia dennis. How can you accuse me of inverted snobbery? I didnt know any of that about Anne Giles, I have formed an opinion of this person from the posts they have made throughout this site. I dont care where she lives, what she does for a living, her marital/family status or indeed whether she has been publicly schooled! What I do care about is her sweeping statements on this site on numerous stories, belittling Single Parents, labeling all teenagers as thiefs & trash. If it suits her, she has on Rose tinited spectacles when it comes to the "local Authorities" & the Constabulary in some stories (as above) yet on others she complains that the police do not do enough to move teenagers on!. My point was, if you want to make a difference, learn something about the issue you want to address. Dont just moan about it & offer sweeping statements. Anne Giles, as you Patricia Dennis, have just totally proved, has NO idea about the real world. Also the "I have a friend who's been abused/who is black/who does drugs/ who is disabled/ who is a single parent" comment, makes me sick! Why is it people think that sort of comment gives them the right to say whatever they like? Its biggotry of the worst kind.

Ignore this Sarah person. Her Mummy obviously isn't aware that she is using her computer to vent out all her frustrations. She pretends that someone is criticising police and teenagers on other posts - I think she misunderstands what the person has actually said. Perhaps lessons in reading are necessary. No "A" level there, I am afraid.

This Sarah poster really has a problem which is clearly sourced from her Eastenders/Coronatio
n Street induced hangups and insincere sincerity I'd wager! A very stupid lady indeed.

In response to Anne Giles' previous comment about 'being out and about in Croydon past 3pm', I would like to say: I am a 16 year old student who comes home through Croydon every night at around 4pm. It is not a pleasant experience, as the town centre and buses are usually filled with gangs. Anne also says that she has previously lived in Sutton amongst other boroughs but will 'never leave Croydon'. I attend a grammar school in Wallington and would love to live in Sutton; the schools are better, there are good local amenities and a strong police presence. Maybe Anne would like to visit other parts of the borough of Croydon before giving her opinion.

Well, I do know her, and she used to live in Thornton Heath, and then later on just round the corner from Selhurst Station. I know many people who are in Croydon at 4 p.m. and feel quite safe. The word "gang" does not mean "bad" - it means a group of people, and all the gangs I myself have seen in the centre of Croydon at 4 p.m. have been teenage students - all behaving themselves. Other friends my age say the same. It may well be that you, as a 16 year old, feel differently. It isn't because it is unsafe, it is because you, personally, feel unsafe, and if the newspapers didn't keep sensationalising crime, you would feel perfectly safe.

I am perfectly aware that the word 'gang' is not a synonym for 'bad' but what I was trying to say is the reason I feel unsafe in Croydon is beacause Croydon is an unsafe area: I have seen various fights in the town centre at around 4pm, I have had my phone stolen from my pocket on the bus home and I have heard various reports of rapes and murders in my local area. It is a newspaper's job to report news that has happened in the area; for them to report it, it must have happened, surely? This is also apparent in the number of yellow police information boards that I see in my local area. Newspapers aren't necessarily 'sensationalising' crime, they are reporting what is happening in Croydon.

Perhaps Mr Gore might like to reveal the contents of his note book for the lat week and the compare them with the contents of a PC and a PCSO in a SNT in the North of the Borough. Then we'll see who's doing the work.
Mr Mark Gore = sinecure.

The best Borough Commander Croydon had was Ch Supt Bill Johnson , He had been station sergeant at Croydon and worked his way up via DM ending up a Detective Ch Supt in CIB2 investigating the death of Blair Peach.

No degree, just a good understanding of coppering, men and crime. Not so todays' senior officers. The paperwork trail is splendid - just a pity the crime/policing activity is so useless.

It's not the papers Mr Gore, it's the inability of senior officers from Commissioner down who don't have the guts to say to the PM/Home Secretary "This *is* how the job will be done. It's about keeping the public safe, not meeting targets to make politicians look good."

Unfortunately they don't have the guts.

What a very nasty, horrible thing to say. This sounds like working class envy. There is nothing wrong with landing a well paid job if one has a degree. Every single organisation needs men/women at the top and every single organisation also needs people who do sit at their desks. Being able to use one's brains and think is very valuable indeed. If Mr. Gore were to spend his time walking the streets, he wouldn't be able to do the other useful things he does. England seems to be a place choc-a-bloc full of envious working class people who think they should be at the top. Let's have our local milman as Prime Minister, then, shall we?? Or our dustman?? Painter and decorator? Builder? A country full of "Oi, 'ello mate" people - in charge?????

EB - we all understand your fears. You are only 16, and do not have an adult's experience. Yes - newspapers need to report crime, as well as reporting good things. But you need to understand that crime is not happening everywhere, all the time. Only a few events - and you behave as though these few are thousands - and everywhere!! OK - you have seen various fights in the town centre at around 4 p.m. I have visited Croydon on a number of occasions and walked through the town centre at 4 p.m. - and seen no fights. So you are multiplying what you see into thousands!! You have heard reports of various murders and rapes in your area. This sounds like idle gossip to me. We all hear things - and each person passes the information on grossly exaggerated. I once told my mother that my wife and I had had a row. She then rang all my siblings up and told them we were separating! You had something stolen on a bus. Most buses to and from the various schools have PCSOs present on them. Instead of complaining on this site, you need to contact your local Safer Neighbourhood Team. Speak to them about your concerns. They will help. Believe me.

Patricia, I think the point Bob was making is that people who have worked their way up to the top, rather than going straight there with a dgree, tend to have a far better idea of the reality of the job. Your snobbery amazes me when these days higher education is encouraged by all. (remember that grocers daughter not so long ago!)If Bob would let me know when he is standing for election I'll vote for him as his ideas about life are far more in tune with mine than the jumped up pen-pushers about these days.

In response to Joshua's comment: yes, I may only be 16 and therefore 'lacking an adult's experience' but I was trying to explain that I do have the experience, because