In the past nine months alone, Your Local Guardian has reported on a total of five crimes involving guns in Croydon – including a fatal shooting.
On February 10, a 17-year-old boy was shot to his leg at Park Street near Croydon College.
A month later on March 29, officers searched Basil Gardens and around Shirely Oaks after reports of gunshots heard – although no one with injuries were found.
Then on May 21, police were called to Walsh Crescent in New Addington after a man in his 30s was shot with non-life threatening or life-changing injuries.
Anthony Morrison, 41, died at the scene of a shooting on Imperial Way, near to a Costco store, on June 19 after attending a funeral service in Totting Bec and a cemetery in Mitcham.
Finally, police launched an investigation after gunshots were heard and a man was allegedly seen with a weapon at Beulah Road, Thornton Heath on July 1.
Statistics show that gun crime is becoming a more apparent issue in the area – however police believe officers are working hard to tackle gangs and reducing gun violence.
High spike
According to data published by the Metropolitan Police, there have been 71 gun crime offences in Croydon between January 2024 and September 2025.
Six of these involved shootings and three of them were robberies involving guns.
In fact, the only boroughs to have more offences reported were Enfield and Brent, both with 72 gun-related crimes each.
Haringey was fourth highest – with 63 incidents involving guns.
On average, there were eight gun crimes within Croydon each month this year.
April, June and July had the most firearm related incidents, with 12 reported on each of these months.
The rate of crime has also gone up by 20 per cent from August to September this year.
In comparison, London as a whole has recorded 1,321 offences so far this year – 188 of these involving robberies with guns and 102 being shootings.
‘Officers working tirelessly’
Detective Chief Superintendent Nick Blackburn, local policing commander for Croydon, Bromley and Sutton, said: “Tackling violent crime in London remains a key focus for the Met Police and reducing shootings is a key part of that, with our officers and teams working tirelessly to reduce the drivers of violence and gun crime and bring those responsible to justice.
“Gun crime, predominantly linked to urban street gangs and organised crime groups, has a devastating impact on the lives of victims, causing fear, sadness and grief amongst families and communities.
“In Croydon, our dedicated teams are using a more intelligence-led approach to tackle gun crime and associated offences, such as money laundering, county lines, drug offences and robbery, with the latter down by 20 per cent between January and September compared to the same period last year.
“They also continue to carry out targeted stop and searches and are working closely with specialist crime teams across the Met to identify and target dangerous offenders through tailored operational activity.”
Police boosting communication
The Metropolitan Police is encouraging people to sign up to Met Engage, a new platform launched by police for residents to keep updated on the issues that matter to them the most.
According to the force, it is working to boost patrols and engagement in parks which have been identified as a risk to public safety.
