COUNCIL leader Tony Newman says Croydon's new police chief Andy Tarrant must work to tackle the fear of crime in the borough.
Cllr Newman said work needs be done to ensure people had no fears about visiting the town centre, especially at night.
Speaking alongside Chief Supt Tarrant last week, he said: "We're actually seeing very welcome reductions in some of the crime stats, but there are still very high levels of fear of crime and that needs to be addressed," he said.
"The message needs to be Croydon is a safe place to work, live and shop.
"One crime is one too many, but I think the bigger crime is people who perhaps don't come into the city centre or will stay at home simply because of the fear of crime.
"It's absolutely critical that together we work on the reputation of our borough and say it is somewhere that is safe and people should be proud to live and work."
Councillor Newman also hailed the arrival of Chief Supt Tarrant as an opportunity for public services in the borough to foster a new working partnership.
