Crime in London
London is among the top 10 most dangerous counties in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The overall crime rate in London in 2020 was 87 crimes per 1,000 people, and the most common crimes were violence and sexual offences, which happened to roughly every 26 out of 1,000 residents.
Out of all of London's larger towns and cities, Westminster is the most dangerous. The next most dangerous is Camden, and Kensington and Chelsea comes in as third most dangerous. There are safer parts of London, starting with Harrow which ranks as the safest area in London, followed up by Kingston upon Thames in second place, and Richmond upon Thames in third place.
Crime Map of London
Click to use map
London Crime Summary
| Crime | Count | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 416,486 | 46.52 |
| Bicycle Theft | 24,355 | 2.72 |
| Burglary | 61,090 | 6.82 |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 51,728 | 5.78 |
| Drugs | 52,789 | 5.90 |
| Other Crime | 10,337 | 1.15 |
| Other Theft | 84,210 | 9.41 |
| Possession of Weapons | 6,014 | 0.67 |
| Public Order | 56,368 | 6.30 |
| Robbery | 27,544 | 3.08 |
| Shoplifting | 35,659 | 3.98 |
| Theft From the Person | 35,117 | 3.92 |
| Vehicle Crime | 107,687 | 12.03 |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 229,978 | 25.69 |
London's Population Centres
| Name | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference from London |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barking and Dagenham | 18,441 | 87 | 0.96% safer |
| Barnet | 26,806 | 68 | 29% safer |
| Bexley | 15,595 | 63 | 39% safer |
| Brent | 27,932 | 85 | 3.2% safer |
| Bromley | 21,684 | 65 | 34% safer |
| Camden | 30,853 | 114 | 23% more dangerous |
| City of London | 5,945 | 612 | 86% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 32,181 | 83 | 5% safer |
| Ealing | 28,578 | 84 | 4.6% safer |
| Enfield | 28,260 | 85 | 3.3% safer |
| Greenwich | 24,721 | 86 | 1.9% safer |
| Hackney | 29,840 | 106 | 18% more dangerous |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | 18,574 | 100 | 13% more dangerous |
| Haringey | 28,144 | 105 | 17% more dangerous |
| Harrow | 15,144 | 60 | 45% safer |
| Havering | 16,717 | 64 | 36% safer |
| Hillingdon | 25,813 | 84 | 4.0% safer |
| Hounslow | 23,385 | 86 | 1.5% safer |
| Islington | 25,583 | 106 | 17% more dangerous |
| Kensington and Chelsea | 17,705 | 113 | 23% more dangerous |
| Kingston upon Thames | 10,770 | 61 | 44% safer |
| Lambeth | 30,395 | 93 | 6% more dangerous |
| Lewisham | 26,978 | 88 | 0.86% more dangerous |
| Merton | 13,453 | 65 | 34% safer |
| Newham | 33,029 | 94 | 7% more dangerous |
| Redbridge | 22,873 | 75 | 17% safer |
| Richmond upon Thames | 12,298 | 62 | 41% safer |
| Southwark | 31,822 | 100 | 12% more dangerous |
| Sutton | 12,872 | 62 | 40% safer |
| Tower Hamlets | 30,740 | 95 | 8% more dangerous |
| Waltham Forest | 23,281 | 84 | 4.0% safer |
| Wandsworth | 24,282 | 74 | 19% safer |
| Westminster | 48,182 | 184 | 53% more dangerous |
Crime Trends in London
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 25 | 25 | 27 | 47 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 2.4 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 2.7 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 8 | 9 | 9 | 7 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | Safer |
| Drugs | 3.6 | 3.8 | 5.0 | 6 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.2 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 12 | 13 | 14 | 9 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.74 | 0.81 | 0.75 | 0.67 | Safer |
| Public Order | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 3.4 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 3.1 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4.0 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 5 | 5 | 7 | 3.9 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 24 | 26 | 26 | 26 | Getting worse |
Last updated: 09 Apr 2021