What a relief - No riots this year predicts Croydon Council’s CEO
Phew. We can all sleep soundly in our beds - Croydon Council's Chief Executive, Jon Rouse says there won’t be any riots this year, which reprise last year’s devastation.
A few days ago he told the meeting of businessmen and women, organised by Croydon Business Improvement District (BID), that a ‘business as usual’ approach would be a deterrent to ‘any idiots who think they can take advantage of the anniversary’. This is how his words were reported by Croydon Advertiser
Unfortunately this complacent view is not shared by the people who know - local businesses.
He told the Daily Telegraph, “I think at some point it will kick off again. I see it in the streets with the unemployment rate around here and the kids [who] have got no jobs.”
Meanwhile Jon Rouse says that there will be no repeat of the widespread looting of last year, “because people would be deterred by the sentences handed down to looters by the courts. He added: "We must be on top of our game.” He said the police and the council were better prepared to cope with problems through improved reporting systems and more shared intelligence.
West Croydon area feeling that their businesses and homes were abandoned to the mob as police resources were focused on the town centre.
Said Mr Nielsen, “I rang [the police] up when [the looters] were in here and they said just get out of the building, [because] we can't get to you, which I think, great, when you are paying all that money each month in rates,” explained Mr Nielsen of the terrifying night last August when his store was overrun by people in masks as he hid in the downstairs office.
A few days ago he told the meeting of businessmen and women, organised by Croydon Business Improvement District (BID), that a ‘business as usual’ approach would be a deterrent to ‘any idiots who think they can take advantage of the anniversary’. This is how his words were reported by Croydon Advertiser
Unfortunately this complacent view is not shared by the people who know - local businesses.
Carl Nielsen, whose music shop was burnt out in last year’s riots, and has since been refurbished, says the root causes remain and unless they are tackled it will happen again.
Meanwhile Jon Rouse says that there will be no repeat of the widespread looting of last year, “because people would be deterred by the sentences handed down to looters by the courts. He added: "We must be on top of our game.” He said the police and the council were better prepared to cope with problems through improved reporting systems and more shared intelligence.
Croydon was particularly badly affected by last summer's riots as gangs of youths ran amok smashing up shops and stealing whatever items of value they could lay their hands on.
Local police were criticised for what many saw as a lack of response with many in the Said Mr Nielsen, “I rang [the police] up when [the looters] were in here and they said just get out of the building, [because] we can't get to you, which I think, great, when you are paying all that money each month in rates,” explained Mr Nielsen of the terrifying night last August when his store was overrun by people in masks as he hid in the downstairs office.
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