Croydon Crime Overview
Croydon is among the top 20 safest cities in London. The overall crime rate in Croydon in 2020 was 77 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to London's overall crime rate, coming in 4.6% lower than London's rate of 81 per 1,000 residents. For England and Wales as a whole, Croydon ranks as the the 41st most dangerous city, and the the 881st most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In October 2020, Croydon had the worst crime rate in London for criminal damage and arson, with 213 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.55 per 1,000 inhabitants. March 2020 was also a bad month for Croydon residents, when it was London's most dangerous area for vehicle crime, recording 541 crimes at a rate of 1.4 per 1,000 residents. Croydon recorded 933 reports of violence and sexual offences during November 2020, making its crime rate of 2.4 the worst for violence and sexual offences in London that month.
The most common crimes in Croydon are violence and sexual offences, with 10,232 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 26. This is 1.1% higher than 2019's figure of 10,119 offences and a difference of 0.29 from 2019's crime rate of 26. Croydon's least common crime is bicycle theft, with 247 offences recorded in 2020, an increase of 3.2% from 2019's figure of 239 crimes.
Croydon Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Croydon This Year
| Croydon | London | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 14,314 | 37.01 | 386,651 | 43.14 | 17% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 247 | 0.64 | 23,018 | 2.57 | 302% safer |
| Burglary | 2,189 | 5.66 | 56,330 | 6.29 | 11% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 2,282 | 5.90 | 47,563 | 5.31 | 10% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 2,515 | 6.50 | 49,029 | 5.47 | 16% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 425 | 1.10 | 9,534 | 1.06 | 3.6% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 2,486 | 6.43 | 77,783 | 8.68 | 35% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 320 | 0.83 | 5,602 | 0.63 | 24% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 2,161 | 5.59 | 52,270 | 5.83 | 4.3% safer |
| Robbery | 865 | 2.24 | 25,480 | 2.84 | 27% safer |
| Shoplifting | 1,114 | 2.88 | 32,905 | 3.67 | 27% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 414 | 1.07 | 31,829 | 3.55 | 232% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 4,597 | 11.89 | 99,978 | 11.16 | 6% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 10,232 | 26.46 | 211,943 | 23.65 | 11% more dangerous |
Croydon Compared to Nearby Cities
| Cities | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merton | 12,487 | 60.46 | 28% safer |
| Queen's Park | 917 | 62.12 | 24% safer |
| Barnet | 24,670 | 62.32 | 24% safer |
| Wandsworth | 22,357 | 67.81 | 14% safer |
| Redbridge | 21,043 | 68.94 | 12% safer |
| Croydon | 29,847 | 77.18 | - |
| Ealing | 26,439 | 77.35 | 0.22% more dangerous |
| Waltham Forest | 21,505 | 77.64 | 0.59% more dangerous |
| Brent | 25,664 | 77.82 | 0.82% more dangerous |
| Enfield | 26,032 | 77.99 | 1.0% more dangerous |
| Hillingdon | 24,014 | 78.25 | 1.4% more dangerous |
Croydon Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 22 | 20 | 22 | 37 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.86 | 0.70 | 0.62 | 0.64 | Safer |
| Burglary | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | Safer |
| Drugs | 3.8 | 4.1 | 6 | 6 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.94 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 8 | 10 | 8 | 6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.93 | 0.86 | 0.90 | 0.83 | Safer |
| Public Order | 5.0 | 5 | 5 | 6 | Getting worse |
| Robbery | 3.0 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 2.2 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 4.1 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 2.9 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.1 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 9 | 11 | 12 | 12 | Getting worse |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 24 | 26 | 26 | 26 | Getting worse |
Comparing Croydon to the UK's Major Cities
| Cities | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Coventry | 71.50 | 8% safer |
| Sheffield | 73.99 | 4.3% safer |
| Kirklees | 74.23 | 4.0% safer |
| Croydon | 77.18 | - |
| Bradford | 79.19 | 2.5% more dangerous |
| London | 80.70 | 4.4% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 89.02 | 13% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 91.57 | 16% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 91.90 | 16% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 102.51 | 25% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 105.94 | 27% more dangerous |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Croydon
What police force serves Croydon?
Croydon's local territorial police force is the Metropolitan Police Service.How dangerous is Croydon?
Croydon is among the top 20 safest cities in London.What is Croydon's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Croydon are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Croydon?
Croydon's least common crime is bicycle theft.Last updated: 18 Feb 2021