Bexley Crime Overview
Bexley is among the top 5 safest cities in London. The overall crime rate in Bexley in 2020 was 58 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to London's overall crime rate, coming in 39% lower than London's rate of 81 per 1,000 residents. For England and Wales as a whole, Bexley ranks as the the 29th safest city, and the the 1,866th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
The most common crimes in Bexley are violence and sexual offences, with 5,162 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 21. This is 6% lower than 2019's figure of 5,497 offences and a difference of 1.35 from 2019's crime rate of 22. Bexley's least common crime is bicycle theft, with 88 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 52% from 2019's figure of 134 crimes.
Bexley Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Bexley This Year
| Bexley | London | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 7,121 | 28.68 | 386,651 | 43.14 | 50% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 88 | 0.35 | 23,018 | 2.57 | 634% safer |
| Burglary | 986 | 3.97 | 56,330 | 6.29 | 58% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 1,341 | 5.40 | 47,563 | 5.31 | 1.7% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 747 | 3.01 | 49,029 | 5.47 | 82% safer |
| Other Crime | 214 | 0.86 | 9,534 | 1.06 | 23% safer |
| Other Theft | 1,185 | 4.77 | 77,783 | 8.68 | 82% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 97 | 0.39 | 5,602 | 0.63 | 62% safer |
| Public Order | 1,226 | 4.94 | 52,270 | 5.83 | 18% safer |
| Robbery | 299 | 1.20 | 25,480 | 2.84 | 137% safer |
| Shoplifting | 743 | 2.99 | 32,905 | 3.67 | 23% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 105 | 0.42 | 31,829 | 3.55 | 745% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 2,238 | 9.01 | 99,978 | 11.16 | 24% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 5,162 | 20.79 | 211,943 | 23.65 | 14% safer |
Bexley Compared to Nearby Cities
| Cities | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harrow | 13,895 | 55.32 | 5% safer |
| Kingston upon Thames | 9,963 | 56.13 | 3.5% safer |
| Richmond upon Thames | 11,408 | 57.61 | 0.89% safer |
| Sutton | 11,945 | 57.89 | 0.40% safer |
| Bexley | 14,431 | 58.12 | - |
| Havering | 15,405 | 59.35 | 2.1% more dangerous |
| Bromley | 19,959 | 60.06 | 3.2% more dangerous |
| Merton | 12,487 | 60.46 | 3.9% more dangerous |
| Queen's Park | 917 | 62.12 | 6% more dangerous |
| Barnet | 24,670 | 62.32 | 7% more dangerous |
Bexley Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 19 | 17 | 17 | 29 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.61 | 0.70 | 0.54 | 0.35 | Safer |
| Burglary | 5 | 7 | 7 | 4.0 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.7 | 2.2 | 2.7 | 3.0 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.78 | 0.76 | 0.87 | 0.86 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4.8 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.39 | 0.36 | 0.52 | 0.39 | Safer |
| Public Order | 3.8 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 4.9 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 1.2 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 4.4 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 3.0 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.78 | 0.75 | 0.86 | 0.42 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 8 | 10 | 13 | 9 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 18 | 19 | 22 | 21 | Getting worse |
Comparing Bexley to the UK's Major Cities
| Cities | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Bexley | 58.12 | - |
| Coventry | 71.50 | 19% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 73.99 | 21% more dangerous |
| Kirklees | 74.23 | 22% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 77.18 | 25% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 79.19 | 27% more dangerous |
| London | 80.70 | 28% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 89.02 | 35% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 91.57 | 37% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 91.90 | 37% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 102.51 | 43% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 105.94 | 45% more dangerous |
Crime in Bexley During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Bexley change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in May, when Bexley saw a 219% increase in anti-social behaviour. Bexley saw a large fall in theft from the person during April, when it fell by 87% compared to April in 2019. Bexley saw consistent falls in the crime rate of several types of crime during every month of its Coronavirus lockdown, including burglary, theft from the person, and vehicle crime.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Oct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +26% | +186% | +219% | +93% | +20% | +46% | +43% | +36% | +113% |
| Bicycle Theft | -70% | -64% | +9% | -38% | -38% | -69% | +31% | -38% | -43% |
| Burglary | -40% | -68% | -63% | -56% | -28% | -39% | -19% | -62% | -43% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +8% | -43% | -18% | -38% | -9% | +19% | +30% | -9% | -14% |
| Drugs | -16% | +80% | +63% | +7% | +27% | +16% | -20% | +39% | +30% |
| Other Crime | -14% | -12% | +86% | -5% | +56% | +73% | +82% | +14% | +35% |
| Other Theft | -2% | -43% | -46% | -15% | -27% | -13% | +3% | -27% | -28% |
| Possession of Weapons | -67% | -55% | +36% | -20% | -27% | +14% | -25% | +25% | -46% |
| Public Order | +27% | -11% | -7% | -1% | +30% | +44% | +8% | -7% | +25% |
| Robbery | -17% | -58% | -59% | +7% | -49% | +32% | +29% | -40% | -11% |
| Shoplifting | -30% | -59% | -23% | -31% | - | -1% | +26% | -15% | -34% |
| Theft From the Person | -38% | -87% | -58% | -12% | -74% | -20% | -55% | -60% | -50% |
| Vehicle Crime | -8% | -58% | -45% | -31% | -37% | -34% | -40% | -22% | -16% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -5% | -19% | -6% | -1% | +22% | +19% | +9% | -8% | +9% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Bexley
What police force serves Bexley?
Bexley's local territorial police force is the Metropolitan Police Service.How dangerous is Bexley?
Bexley is among the top 5 safest cities in London.What is Bexley's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Bexley are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Bexley?
Bexley's least common crime is bicycle theft.Last updated: 01 Mar 2021