Croydon is teen stabbing capital of Britain this summer
by Gareth Davies and Neil Millard
gareth.davies@essnmedia.co.uk
MORE teenagers have been stabbed to death on Croydon streets this summer than anywhere else in Britain, the Advertiser has discovered.
Since the start of July three teens, Shakilus Townsend, Nilanthan Murrdi and Oliver Kingonzila, have lost their lives after being knifed in the borough.
No other town or borough in the country has seen so many young victims losing their lives to knife crime.
London's 31 other boroughs have seen five victims between them over the same time, meaning Croydon accounts for more than a third of those killed in the capital.
Even the whole of Greater Manchester has only seen three teenagers stabbed to death, all in different areas.
And huge cities such as Sheffield and Liverpool have only had one teenager die to knife crime over the same period.
Despite this worrying statistic Steve O'Connell, the council's head of safety and cohesion, insists "Croydon is a safe borough."
When told what the figures showed, he said: "I am distressed to hear that.
"That situation is unacceptable – we at the council will be pulling our sleeves up."
As a direct result of the death of Oliver Kingonzila, Cllr O'Connell revealed he had asked the Metropolitan Police for more resources, which he believes will mean more police on our streets.
And, with two of the three recent victims coming from the black community, Cllr O'Connell said he was facing up to a reality some may find uncomfortable.
He said: "There are a disproportionate number of young black victims and we have been speaking to church leaders, such as Pastor Damian Luke and Patrick Reid, to forge relationships with the black community to tackle this problem"
He also conceded that faith and voluntary groups were closer to those affected by knife crime than the council and would play a central role in the future in educating youths not to carry weapons.
His long-term goal is to increase the education of Croydon youths and families about the danger of knives.
But in the short-term, despite recent events, he believes law enforcement in Croydon is working.
He said: "The enforcement side is getting there but it doesn't help that penal justice is too soft – we need stricter sentences."
Cllr O'Connell also rejected the view that increased policing in central Croydon had pushed problems of violence and anti-social behaviour to places like South Croydon and to nightclubs like the E Bar which are less equipped to deal with crowds of youths.
10 Comments
by D112, Croydon
Monday, September 22 2008, 2:49PM
“"Croydon is a safe borough" the guy in charge of this doesnt even know the facts?!?! ridiculous.”
by Arfur Towcrate, Staffycher
Monday, September 22 2008, 1:46PM
“According to the Council's website, the following petition was presented to all of Croydon's Councillors at a meeting over a year ago, on 17 September 2007:
¿We the undersigned call upon Croydon Council to take the necessary action to
address the alarming increase in youth crime and the number of young people
being killed. We urge the Council to provide the urgent resources needed to
provide for young people in Croydon and put an end to this crisis in our
community.¿
On behalf of the Council, Councillor Steve O'Connell's official response, published over 3 months later, included the gems that "we must bear
in mind that violent crime is rare" and "we have a clear plan of action with a balance of enforcement, prevention,
education and intervention" and "we have
made some significant sucesses (sic) in the last 6 months."
However, Croydon now tops London's knife crime league and our cops get beaten up in broad daylight when they tackle schoolgirls dropping litter.
The only success that the Safer Croydon Partnership can boast is that its chair, Councillor Steve O'Connell has gone and got himself a second job. As well as earning £45k+ as the Croydon Councillor responsible for Safety and Cohesion, he is now earning £50k+ for representing Croydon and Sutton on the Greater London Assembly.
I wouldn't mind if he had achieved this on the back of a great track record in tackling crime in the borough. However, the sad fact is that serious crime is on the rise and the politician responsible for leading the fight against it appears to have his mind focused on more important things, like money and power.
O'Connell should either give up or be forced out of his Croydon crime-fighting role.”
by Uncleboko, Selsdon
Sunday, September 21 2008, 9:27AM
“This is sensationalising (all newspapers are guity of this in order to maximise sales!) what is simply the activities of a very tiny proportion of a generally misguided section of the younger generation who lack breeding.”
by Misterkipling, Croydon
Saturday, September 20 2008, 7:57PM
“Does croydon Win some kind of Trophy, like a gold knife?”
by Informer, surrey
Saturday, September 20 2008, 7:39PM
“Look like Croydon is going to win this years STABBO award.As well as the SADDO awards,Shame it was once a nice place.”
by dommy delaney, east croydon
Saturday, September 20 2008, 7:24PM
“Face it people croydon is just turning into a turf war between gangs of black lads. Just wait till some one totally innocent gets stabbed to death... and then maybe some one will do something! Although im sure croydon police will be busy doing something else! Croydon is one of the roughest areas I have lived in and coming from manchester and glasgow thats saying something.”
by Robin Hood, Croydon
Saturday, September 20 2008, 5:41PM
“Good comment Rich.
The prison sentance for carrying a knife was just a knee jerk reaction by the Government and was not as cut and dried as headlines would have us believe.
It should have been a fixed penalty but having spoken to a magistrate I was advised that it was dependant on the size of the knife and if self defence was offered as a defence.
Watch the court reports and see how many defendants who not only carry a knife but indeed use one to wound get sentences of 18 months or less.
Until this crazy situation ends the stabbings will continue.”
by Rich, Croydon
Saturday, September 20 2008, 5:23PM
“In 2007, the government increased the maximum prison sentence for carrying a knife from two years to four. This is not good enough. If you're aged 14 to 16 you could be sent to a young offenders institution or secure unit. This is not good enough either. Age in this instance is irrelevant. Carrying a knife signals possible or probable intent to use same which ultimately could end in tragedy. I want to see sentencing that includes a very public punishment, the likes of which are demonstrated in other countries by Joe Apraio, the sheriff of Phoenix, Arizona, USA. There, he dresses offenders in high visibility uniforms, chains them together and has them down on their hands and knees cleaning the street's gutters in full public view; real degradation. The effects of a punishment for a crime need to be felt for much longer than the meagre sentences that are currently being handed out by our Courts if they are in anyway to be effective. Bring back stocks, the pillory and the pranger and have offenders made to feel punished and have this demonstrated to good citizens that society takes a very dim view of crime.”
by JonD, Epsom
Saturday, September 20 2008, 11:23AM
“Good luck Paris, Croydon has lots to offer you in creating your new suburbs.....you might like to try somewhere else.
The attitude of gang members families stinks in all of this, they will claim they dont or didnt know...bla bla bla, its all flannel. These sort of people like nothing more than reputation, biggin up, slagging off and ultimately stabbing each other.
Personally, if these gangs wish to beat nine bells out of each other, probably ending in death, then let them get on with it until they self implode.”
by Mags, Croydon
Saturday, September 20 2008, 10:54AM
“We have this trouble because mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, partners and friends are keeping quiet about who is causing trouble in Croydon.
By keeping quiet they are protecting those who are involved in gangs and drugs in Croydon.
Why keep quiet about these boys and girls who sell drugs and carry knives?
It's not the case of being disloyal or being a snitch, but people have got to let the Police know who these people are and what they are doing.
If you know of someone carrying a knife or selling weed in the community, please tell someone.
Let's not see anyone trouble, maybe you can make a difference.”