Crackdown to tackle phone theft and robbery in Croydon

Met officers are tackling robbery and theft as part of their commitment to making Croydon safer by using precision policing to target offenders.

Local teams have stepped up efforts to protect people who live, work and visit Croydon, responding to community concerns around pick pocketing, robbery and theft.

With a laser like focus on CCTV footage and a drum beat of operations in robbery hotspots, officers are intensifying efforts to tackle these issues head on and take more criminals off the streets.

Neighbourhood officers in Croydon have been encouraging victims to report robberies as they happen to allow for a quick time investigation. This early reporting has enabled officers to get to the scene promptly and start collecting crucial evidence. This significantly increases the likelihood of apprehending a suspect.

Across Croydon and London more widely, officers are being deployed to areas with higher robbery crime rates. This deters criminals and makes officers more visibly available to members of the community. Plain clothed officers also patrol areas to identify any suspicious behaviour and make arrests.

Chief Inspector James Weston said: “We understand the impact that robbery has on victims - it is invasive and frightening. That's why our teams are working so hard to deter and catch offenders to reassure our local community.

“Thanks to the hard work of officers, our partners and community grassroots organisations, we are stepping up our efforts and tackling the issues that matter most to the people of Croydon.”

Recent prosecutions in Croydon demonstrate officer’s success in bringing offenders to justice.

Teens prosecuted for spree of Croydon robberies

Two teenagers aged 16 and 17 - and who cannot be named for legal reasons – pleaded guilty to counts of robbery, attempted robbery and attempted grievous bodily harm.

This followed an investigation into a spree of robberies across Croydon and Bromley on Monday, 5 August. A coordinated effort was undertaken to identify the teenagers following one report, where a victim was robbed at knifepoint. Officers immediately began to investigate, with officers recovering two discarded kitchen knives and analysing hours' worth of CCTV.

Once identified, detectives tracked back through recent robbery reports on the day of the original offence, as well as reports from previous days. This involved analysing phone records to show the pair were present at the locations of the reported robberies. Detectives used this evidence to prove that the pair were responsible for eight other robberies across the south London area.

Phone snatcher brought to justice

In a similar fast-time case concerning multiple victims, a man was arrested following a succession of robberies in Croydon and Lambeth

On Wednesday, 6 March 2024 a woman in Croydon had her iPhone snatched out of her hands by an offender on a moped. The woman reported the incident to Croydon Police Station.

Less than an hour later, a report came into police that another victim had had their phone stolen while they waited for a bus.

The man was arrested following a swift police response, with officers using real-time phone tracking data to locate him. Officers identified him the same day, where he was still in possession of the stolen phones.

While arresting him, officers also recovered a stolen motorbike.

Amari Scott, 20 (06.08.2004) of Wrythe Lane, Sutton was sentenced to four years in a Young Offender's Institution.