Barnet Crime Overview
Barnet is among the top 10 safest cities in London, and is among the top 10 safest overall out of London's 33 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Barnet in 2020 was 68 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to London's overall crime rate, coming in 29% lower than the London rate of 87 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Barnet is among the top 20 safest cities, and the 1,557th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In November 2020, Barnet had the worst crime rate in London for burglary, with 301 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.76 per 1,000 inhabitants. May 2020 was also a bad month for Barnet residents, when it was London's most dangerous area for shoplifting, recording 101 crimes at a rate of 0.26 per 1,000 residents. Barnet recorded 543 reports of vehicle crime during October 2020, making its crime rate of 1.4 the worst for vehicle crime in London that month.
The most common crimes in Barnet are violence and sexual offences, with 7,677 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 19. This is 2.5% higher than 2019's figure of 7,486 offences and a difference of 0.48 from 2019's crime rate of 19. Barnet's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 143 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 2.1% from 2019's figure of 146 crimes.
Compare Barnet to other towns and cities
See how Barnet shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Barnet and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Barnet Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Barnet This Year
| Barnet | London | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 14,633 | 36.96 | 416,486 | 46.52 | 26% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 273 | 0.69 | 24,355 | 2.72 | 294% safer |
| Burglary | 2,771 | 7.00 | 61,090 | 6.82 | 2.6% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 1,910 | 4.82 | 51,728 | 5.78 | 20% safer |
| Drugs | 1,080 | 2.73 | 52,789 | 5.90 | 116% safer |
| Other Crime | 316 | 0.80 | 10,337 | 1.15 | 44% safer |
| Other Theft | 2,826 | 7.14 | 84,210 | 9.41 | 32% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 143 | 0.36 | 6,014 | 0.67 | 86% safer |
| Public Order | 1,799 | 4.54 | 56,368 | 6.30 | 39% safer |
| Robbery | 925 | 2.34 | 27,544 | 3.08 | 32% safer |
| Shoplifting | 1,447 | 3.66 | 35,659 | 3.98 | 9% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 613 | 1.55 | 35,117 | 3.92 | 153% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 5,026 | 12.70 | 107,687 | 12.03 | 5% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 7,677 | 19.39 | 229,978 | 25.69 | 32% safer |
Crime in Barnet Compared To London
Barnet Compared to Nearby Cities
| City | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sutton | 12,872 | 62.38 | 9% safer |
| Bexley | 15,595 | 62.81 | 8% safer |
| Havering | 16,717 | 64.41 | 5% safer |
| Merton | 13,453 | 65.13 | 4.0% safer |
| Bromley | 21,684 | 65.25 | 3.8% safer |
| Barnet | 26,806 | 67.71 | - |
| Wandsworth | 24,282 | 73.65 | 8% more dangerous |
| Redbridge | 22,873 | 74.94 | 10% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 32,181 | 83.22 | 19% more dangerous |
| Ealing | 28,578 | 83.61 | 19% more dangerous |
| Waltham Forest | 23,281 | 84.05 | 19% more dangerous |
Barnet Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 19 | 18 | 21 | 37 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.63 | 0.45 | 0.56 | 0.69 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 5 | 4.8 | 5 | 4.8 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 2.7 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.61 | 0.92 | 0.81 | 0.80 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 10 | 10 | 9 | 7 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.37 | 0.39 | 0.37 | 0.36 | Safer |
| Public Order | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.5 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 1.6 | 1.9 | 3.3 | 2.3 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 3.7 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.8 | 2.1 | 2.8 | 1.6 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 10 | 13 | 15 | 13 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 17 | 18 | 19 | 19 | Getting worse |
Changes In Barnet's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Barnet to the UK's Major Cities
| City | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | - |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 13% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 19% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 21% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 21% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 31% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 34% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 37% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 49% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 51% more dangerous |
Crime in Barnet's Neighbourhoods
Brent Cross & Staples Corner is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Barnet, followed by Edgware Central in second place, and Colney Hatch as the third most dangerous area. Barnet's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Oak Hill, Osidge, and West Finchley.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brent Cross & Staples Corner | 1,774 | 253 | First |
| Brunswick Park Road | 593 | 67 | 14th |
| Burnt Oak & Watling Park | 1,004 | 81 | Eighth |
| Childs Hill | 456 | 66 | 17th |
| Church End | 520 | 68 | 12th |
| Colindale | 1,090 | 65 | 20th |
| Colney Hatch | 1,083 | 99 | Third |
| Copthall & Downage | 529 | 49 | 33rd |
| Ducks Island & Underhill | 619 | 64 | 23rd |
| East Finchley | 524 | 49 | 34th |
| Edgware Central | 998 | 99 | Second |
| Edgware East | 569 | 49 | 35th |
| Edgware Park | 497 | 47 | 36th |
| Fallow Corner | 730 | 66 | 15th |
| Finchley Central | 527 | 53 | 32nd |
| Friern Barnet | 744 | 65 | 21st |
| Golders Green North | 702 | 57 | 30th |
| Golders Green South | 888 | 97 | Fourth |
| Grahame Park | 639 | 67 | 13th |
| Hadley Wood | 585 | 70 | 11th |
| Hampstead Garden Suburb | 560 | 58 | 28th |
| Hendon Central | 1,010 | 84 | Sixth |
| Hendon Park | 468 | 57 | 29th |
| High Barnet & Hadley | 698 | 63 | 25th |
| Mill Hill Broadway | 385 | 43 | 38th |
| Mill Hill East | 514 | 61 | 27th |
| Mill Hill Park | 615 | 85 | Fifth |
| New Barnet Town & East Barnet | 748 | 79 | Ninth |
| New Barnet West | 448 | 66 | 18th |
| North Cricklewood | 512 | 64 | 22nd |
| North Finchley | 882 | 72 | Tenth |
| North Hendon & Sunny Hill | 507 | 66 | 16th |
| Oak Hill | 216 | 33 | 40th |
| Oakleigh Park | 483 | 61 | 26th |
| Osidge | 289 | 37 | 39th |
| Temple Fortune | 718 | 66 | 19th |
| Totteridge & Barnet Gate | 593 | 64 | 24th |
| West Finchley | 222 | 27 | 41st |
| West Hendon | 993 | 84 | Seventh |
| Whetstone East | 520 | 56 | 31st |
| Woodside Park | 405 | 45 | 37th |
Barnet Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Barnet for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Oak Hill (106) | Brent Cross & Staples Corner (590) |
| Bicycle Theft | Whetstone East (1) | Golders Green South (14) |
| Burglary | Oak Hill (22) | Golders Green South (95) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Oak Hill (16) | Brent Cross & Staples Corner (105) |
| Drugs | Woodside Park (7) | Brent Cross & Staples Corner (89) |
| Other Crime | Osidge (2) | Childs Hill (17) |
| Other Theft | West Finchley (6) | Colney Hatch (396) |
| Possession of Weapons | Finchley Central (1) | Edgware Central (11) |
| Public Order | Osidge (7) | Brent Cross & Staples Corner (140) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Mill Hill Broadway (3) | Brent Cross & Staples Corner (53) |
| Shoplifting | Ducks Island & Underhill (1) | Brent Cross & Staples Corner (397) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Osidge (1) | Brent Cross & Staples Corner (144) |
| Vehicle Crime | Colindale (118) | Brent Cross & Staples Corner (270) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | West Finchley (55) | Brent Cross & Staples Corner (329) |
Crime in Barnet During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Barnet change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in November, when Barnet saw a 256% increase in bicycle theft. Barnet saw a large fall in theft from the person during April, when it fell by 84% compared to April in 2019. Rates of robbery and shoplifting both fell year-on-year for every month during Barnet's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +36% | +242% | +178% | +84% | +56% | +43% | +64% | +47% | +67% | +71% |
| Bicycle Theft | -41% | +14% | -19% | +8% | +7% | +14% | +65% | +173% | +256% | +25% |
| Burglary | -21% | -55% | -46% | -42% | -33% | +6% | -6% | +8% | -4% | -39% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -14% | -18% | -17% | -22% | +2% | +36% | -3% | +6% | -12% | -2% |
| Drugs | -14% | +63% | +202% | +23% | +46% | +31% | +17% | +67% | +61% | +90% |
| Other Crime | +16% | +3% | +27% | - | +5% | -37% | -20% | -20% | +6% | +33% |
| Other Theft | -30% | -55% | -51% | -39% | +6% | -5% | +12% | -23% | -11% | -24% |
| Possession of Weapons | +18% | -18% | -6% | +18% | +17% | +100% | -20% | -30% | +20% | -18% |
| Public Order | -32% | -10% | -8% | +10% | -1% | +31% | +48% | -16% | -9% | +15% |
| Robbery | +29% | -48% | -56% | -39% | -41% | -4% | -40% | -46% | -60% | -61% |
| Shoplifting | -24% | -32% | -39% | -4% | -14% | -24% | -17% | +10% | -21% | -6% |
| Theft From the Person | -42% | -84% | -83% | -74% | -46% | -8% | -48% | -47% | -64% | -42% |
| Vehicle Crime | -26% | -58% | -30% | -37% | -21% | - | -11% | +2% | -20% | -28% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -4% | -5% | +4% | -2% | +6% | +14% | +4% | +9% | -3% | +6% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Barnet
What police force serves Barnet?
Barnet's local territorial police force is the Metropolitan Police Service.How dangerous is Barnet?
Barnet is among the top 10 safest cities in London.What is Barnet's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Barnet are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Barnet?
Barnet's least common crimes are possession of weapons.Last updated: 01 Apr 2021