£165,000 has been promised to Croydon Council to combat violence against women and antisocial behaviour in the town centre.

Mayor Jason Perry announced on November 10 that the council has secured Government funding as part of the latest round from the Safer Streets scheme. 

Safer Streets was implemented by the Home Office in 2020 with the express purpose of making streets less dangerous for: “women and girls at a community level”.

Perry, who was elected on a mandate to create a safer living environment for Croydon, said: “I promised to listen to residents and to work to make Croydon a safer place to live for everyone. This funding from the Home Office is an important step towards making our town centre spaces more welcoming and to tackle violence against women and girls.”

According to Croydon Council, the Safer Streets funding will be used to finance a number of initiatives which involve community outreach to: “Intervene with young people who are most vulnerable to offending and criminal exploitation”. 

Additionally, the council plans to set up projects to engage with young women at risk of becoming involved in crime and: “will also deliver group sessions and one to one sessions with young women and will also focus on personal safety”.

However, at the time of writing, the council was unable to provide more specific details on its plans for the funding.

According to CrimeRate.co.uk, the most common crimes committed in Croydon in 2022 were violence and sexual offences. The crime rate per 1,000 people in Croydon is two points above the figure for the rest of London.

The mayor’s announcement came a day before the funeral of Elianne Andam, a 15-year-old girl who was murdered in Croydon on September 27. The stabbing sent shockwaves through the community.