Islington Crime Overview
Islington is among the top 5 most dangerous cities in London. The overall crime rate in Islington in 2020 was 100 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to London's overall crime rate, coming in 19% higher than London's rate of 81 per 1,000 residents. For England and Wales as a whole, Islington ranks as the among the top 10 most dangerous city, and the the 397th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In May 2020, Islington had the worst crime rate in London for theft from the person, with 73 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.30 per 1,000 inhabitants.
The most common crimes in Islington are violence and sexual offences, with 5,988 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 25. This is 19% lower than 2019's figure of 7,135 offences and a difference of 4.73 from 2019's crime rate of 29. Islington's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 164 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 43% from 2019's figure of 234 crimes.
Islington Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Islington This Year
| Islington | London | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 12,813 | 52.84 | 386,651 | 43.14 | 18% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 1,395 | 5.75 | 23,018 | 2.57 | 55% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 1,970 | 8.12 | 56,330 | 6.29 | 23% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 1,348 | 5.56 | 47,563 | 5.31 | 4.5% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 1,412 | 5.82 | 49,029 | 5.47 | 6% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 222 | 0.92 | 9,534 | 1.06 | 15% safer |
| Other Theft | 2,807 | 11.58 | 77,783 | 8.68 | 25% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 164 | 0.68 | 5,602 | 0.63 | 7% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 1,939 | 8.00 | 52,270 | 5.83 | 27% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 1,111 | 4.58 | 25,480 | 2.84 | 38% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 1,027 | 4.24 | 32,905 | 3.67 | 13% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 2,397 | 9.89 | 31,829 | 3.55 | 64% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 2,366 | 9.76 | 99,978 | 11.16 | 14% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 5,988 | 24.70 | 211,943 | 23.65 | 4.3% more dangerous |
Islington Compared to Nearby Cities
| Cities | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tower Hamlets | 28,514 | 87.80 | 13% safer |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | 17,115 | 92.44 | 8% safer |
| Southwark | 29,614 | 92.88 | 7% safer |
| Haringey | 25,571 | 95.18 | 4.6% safer |
| Hackney | 27,345 | 97.27 | 2.4% safer |
| Islington | 24,146 | 99.58 | - |
| Kensington and Chelsea | 16,253 | 104.10 | 4.3% more dangerous |
| Camden | 28,903 | 107.04 | 7% more dangerous |
| Westminster | 43,733 | 167.36 | 40% more dangerous |
| City of London | 5,401 | 555.60 | 82% more dangerous |
Islington Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 29 | 27 | 32 | 53 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.0 | 6 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 10 | 11 | 11 | 8 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | Safer |
| Drugs | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 0.92 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 16 | 17 | 21 | 12 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.92 | 0.91 | 0.97 | 0.68 | Safer |
| Public Order | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | Getting worse |
| Robbery | 7 | 6 | 7 | 4.6 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 7 | 6 | 6 | 4.2 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person | 26 | 14 | 16 | 10 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 12 | 12 | 12 | 10 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 29 | 31 | 29 | 25 | Safer |
Comparing Islington to the UK's Major Cities
| Cities | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Coventry | 71.50 | 39% safer |
| Sheffield | 73.99 | 35% safer |
| Kirklees | 74.23 | 34% safer |
| Croydon | 77.18 | 29% safer |
| Bradford | 79.19 | 26% safer |
| London | 80.70 | 23% safer |
| Birmingham | 89.02 | 12% safer |
| Bristol | 91.57 | 9% safer |
| Leeds | 91.90 | 8% safer |
| Islington | 99.58 | - |
| Leicester | 102.51 | 2.9% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 105.94 | 6% more dangerous |
Crime in Islington During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Islington change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in May, when Islington saw a 202% increase in anti-social behaviour. Islington saw a large fall in theft from the person during April, when it fell by 82% compared to April in 2019. Islington saw consistent falls in the crime rate of several types of crime during every month of its Coronavirus lockdown, including burglary, other theft, and theft from the person.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Oct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +25% | +201% | +202% | +102% | +56% | +50% | +44% | +59% | +88% |
| Bicycle Theft | +65% | -14% | +30% | +56% | +36% | +161% | +89% | +54% | +91% |
| Burglary | -25% | -29% | -19% | -9% | -29% | -3% | -12% | -28% | -5% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | - | -21% | -3% | -6% | +13% | +27% | +21% | -19% | -2% |
| Drugs | +3% | +48% | +63% | +45% | +7% | -9% | -2% | +3% | -6% |
| Other Crime | -23% | -22% | -38% | -10% | -55% | +20% | +62% | -15% | -17% |
| Other Theft | -37% | -74% | -73% | -57% | -46% | -25% | -20% | -32% | -53% |
| Possession of Weapons | -42% | -39% | -5% | -50% | -61% | -48% | -15% | +7% | +64% |
| Public Order | -20% | -23% | -6% | +21% | +8% | +78% | +30% | +17% | -3% |
| Robbery | -17% | -71% | -62% | -50% | -52% | -24% | +1% | -31% | -50% |
| Shoplifting | -44% | -60% | -48% | -34% | -11% | -15% | +5% | -18% | -37% |
| Theft From the Person | -2% | -82% | -78% | -74% | -61% | -38% | -9% | -35% | -29% |
| Vehicle Crime | -28% | -43% | -28% | +1% | +9% | +19% | -18% | -25% | -6% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -25% | -26% | -18% | -6% | -6% | +22% | +9% | -20% | -21% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Islington
What police force serves Islington?
Islington's local territorial police force is the City of London Police.How dangerous is Islington?
Islington is among the top 5 most dangerous cities in London.What is Islington's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Islington are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Islington?
Islington's least common crimes are possession of weapons.Last updated: 01 Mar 2021