The London suburb where Sergeant Matt Ratana was killed is infamous for knife crime

The city of London where a New Zealand-born police officer was killed in the line of duty is famous for its knife crimes and youth violence.

Sergeant Matiu Ratana, known as Matt, was shot and killed in a custody center in Croydon, south London, on Friday morning UK time.

Ratana, 54, was originally from Hawke’s Bay and had worked with the Metropolitan Police for nearly 30 years, as well as the Auckland Police for five years.

He turned down a career in rugby for the UK police, and is remembered by his colleagues as a “big guy who had a big heart”.

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Ratana served in Croydon, which is described as one of the harshest places in the UK by the police news service. Oracle of the police.

The borough or city, officially called the London Borough, is home to 387,000 people, a population very similar to that of Christchurch City.

It has the largest shopping district outside of central London.

Croydon is also on a transport corridor between central London and the south coast of England, making it a hub for drug gangs. Oracle of the police reported.

The area is also a hotbed for unaccompanied children seeking asylum, as it is the headquarters of the Interior Ministry that takes care of these children, the news service said.

The most commonly reported crime in Croydon is violence against the person, according to Met police data reported by Oracle of the police.

During the first three months of 2020, there were 822 violent crimes per month, more than five times the monthly average of violent crimes in Christchurch.

Croydon is notorious for its knife violence, with hundreds of knife crimes causing injuries each year.

The media has reported at least seven stabbing deaths since July 2019.

In an attempt to understand the scope of the problem, the Mayor’s Office of Police and Crime released extensive data on knife attacks in Croydon in February.

MyLondon reported that of the areas surveyed, the worst was Fairfield, in downtown Croydon, with 24 knife crimes causing injuries in 2019.

That same month, the family of 24-year-old Tyler Roye urged people to “lay down their knives” after he was fatally stabbed. Independent He said.

Earlier this month, Croydon Mayor Maddie Henson joined organizations in South London for a soccer tournament to support work around fighting knife crime and youth violence.

“Croydon continues to face challenges with knife crime and we have lost too many young people to this scourge.” In your area Henson reported saying.

Recent violent deaths in Croydon

In addition to Ratana’s death, Croydon has been widely covered in the media for his violent deaths.

In March this year, Damani Mauge, 17, was stabbed to death on a Croydon bus, according to MyLondon.

In February, Tyler Roye, 24, was fatally stabbed in a “frenzied and brutal attack” while walking down an alley. His family urged the Croydon youth to “lay down their knives,” the Evening standard reported.

In January, 16-year-old Louis Johnson was stabbed to death at the East Croydon station. A 17-year-old, who cannot be identified due to his age, was found guilty of murder. News Buyer He said.

In December 2019, 33-year-old Albert Amofa was fatally stabbed in the leg after his alleged attackers tried to steal his car. MyLondon reported.

That same month, a 60-year-old man was stabbed to death on a residential street in Croydon, Independent reported.

In July 2019, pregnant mother Kelly-Mary Fauvrelle was stabbed to death in Croydon. Her son, Riley, was turned over at the scene but later died, the. Independent reported.

Rare police deaths

It is rare for police officers to die in the line of duty in the UK, the Washington Post He said.

Ratana’s death marks the first time an officer has been shot dead since 2012.

Berkeley law professor Franklin Zimring, writing in The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, he said, is due to low gun ownership rates.

Pistols, including revolvers like the one recovered after Ratana’s death, were effectively banned in the UK after the 1996 Dunblane massacre, where 16 primary school children and a teacher were shot dead.

The exception is Northern Ireland, where people can carry pistols for personal protection.

According to the National Ballistic Intelligence Service, shootings are rare across the UK due to strict gun laws and border controls. The independent reported.