A leading Croydon councillor is calling for more police on the streets of Croydon to help tackle the gang culture that is exploding across south London.

Councillor Steve O'Connell spoke to the Croydon Guardian after Met Commissioner Sir Ian Blair said last week that a new temporary taskforce would be set up in the wake of a series of fatal shootings.

Sir Ian said the new taskforce would "co-ordinate resources" to help bring violent offenders to justice, disrupt any escalation in violent activity and reassure the public.

It would not involve, he said, armed officers on routine foot patrol on the streets, but there will be an increase in intelligence-led armed interventions, Operation Neon, and high visibility policing in trouble spots.

Last month, a 16-year-old boy was stabbed outside East Croydon station minutes after a 17-year-old boy was left with serious facial injuries.

Police linked both crimes and said there was a strong possibility they were gang related.

Coun O'Connell, joint deputy leader of the council and cabinet member for public protection and crime reduction, said: "The gang culture is certainly prevelant in south London at the moment and there has been talk of getting additional policing in the five south London boroughs, which includes Croydon.

"I would hope the services go to the boroughs that need them the most and I would expect that service to come to Croydon. We would certainly welcome it and I would expect the service to have an effect on the borough and other boroughs around us."

An urgent meeting was called by Sir Ian Blair to discuss the recent spate of shootings.

It came after 15-year-old Billy Cox was shot dead in the middle of the day at his Clapham North home last Wednesday.

The week before, James Andre Smartt-Ford, a 16-year-old, was shot at Streatham Ice Arena on February 3. He was gunned down in front of other skaters.

A third boy, Michael Dosunmu, 15, was shot and killed after gunmen broke into his Peckham home in the early hours of February 6. He had celebrated his birthday just a few days earlier.

The deaths came after Thornton Heath schoolboy Eugene Attram was stabbed to death in Mitcham in what is also believed to be a gang-related attack.

Croydon's Borough Commander, Chief Superintendent Mark Gore, said: "Gun crime continues to be reduced in this borough. However, we are not complacent and over the past few years we have regularly carried out intelligence-led anti-gun crime operations in our continued efforts to tackle gun crime.

"These operations are not new for this borough but with recent events in other boroughs in south London, there is an understandably increased focus. With additional police resources being placed in the town centre in partnership with the council, and additional PCSO's soon to be posted on the transport links, we are increasing our policing resources to ensure we continue to prevent and reduce crime in Croydon."

Coun O'Connell added: "At the moment, there are boroughs that need these forces more than Croydon, but I am sure Croydon will get its fair share. We have an emerging gang issue rather than serious gang disorder and I certainly hope it stays that way.

"It is not at the level experienced by neighbouring boroughs so I would imagine there will be priority deployment. But we need to get serious against gangs."

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