Islington Crime Overview
Islington is among the top 5 most dangerous cities in London, and is among the top 10 most dangerous overall out of London's 33 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Islington in 2020 was 106 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to London's overall crime rate, coming in 17% higher than the London rate of 87 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Islington is among the top 10 most dangerous cities, and the 422nd most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In January 2018, Islington had the worst crime rate in London for robbery, with 192 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.79 per 1,000 inhabitants. June 2016 was also a bad month for Islington residents, when it was London's most dangerous area for theft from the person, recording 459 crimes at a rate of 1.9 per 1,000 residents. Islington recorded 78 reports of bicycle theft during February 2016, making its crime rate of 0.32 the worst for bicycle theft in London that month.
The most common crimes in Islington are violence and sexual offences, with 6,354 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 26. This is 11% lower than 2019's figure of 7,029 offences and a difference of 2.78 from 2019's crime rate of 29. Islington's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 170 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 33% from 2019's figure of 226 crimes.
Compare Islington to other towns and cities
See how Islington shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Islington and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Islington Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Islington This Year
| Islington | London | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 13,879 | 57.24 | 416,486 | 46.52 | 19% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 1,442 | 5.95 | 24,355 | 2.72 | 54% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 2,114 | 8.72 | 61,090 | 6.82 | 22% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 1,456 | 6.00 | 51,728 | 5.78 | 3.7% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 1,470 | 6.06 | 52,789 | 5.90 | 2.6% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 235 | 0.97 | 10,337 | 1.15 | 19% safer |
| Other Theft | 2,924 | 12.06 | 84,210 | 9.41 | 22% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 170 | 0.70 | 6,014 | 0.67 | 4.3% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 2,049 | 8.45 | 56,368 | 6.30 | 25% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 1,197 | 4.94 | 27,544 | 3.08 | 38% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 1,061 | 4.38 | 35,659 | 3.98 | 9% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 2,584 | 10.66 | 35,117 | 3.92 | 63% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 2,527 | 10.42 | 107,687 | 12.03 | 15% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 6,354 | 26.21 | 229,978 | 25.69 | 2.0% more dangerous |
Crime in Islington Compared To London
Islington Compared to Nearby Cities
| City | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newham | 33,029 | 93.53 | 13% safer |
| Tower Hamlets | 30,740 | 94.66 | 11% safer |
| Southwark | 31,822 | 99.81 | 6% safer |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | 18,574 | 100.32 | 5% safer |
| Haringey | 28,144 | 104.76 | 0.72% safer |
| Islington | 25,583 | 105.51 | - |
| Hackney | 29,840 | 106.15 | 0.60% more dangerous |
| Camden | 30,853 | 114.26 | 8% more dangerous |
| Westminster | 48,182 | 184.38 | 43% more dangerous |
Islington Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 29 | 27 | 33 | 57 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.0 | 6 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 10 | 11 | 11 | 9 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | Safer |
| Drugs | 5 | 4.9 | 5 | 6 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 0.97 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 16 | 17 | 21 | 12 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.90 | 0.89 | 0.93 | 0.70 | Safer |
| Public Order | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 7 | 6 | 7 | 4.9 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 7 | 6 | 6 | 4.4 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 25 | 13 | 15 | 11 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 12 | 12 | 12 | 10 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 28 | 31 | 29 | 26 | Safer |
Changes In Islington's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Islington to the UK's Major Cities
Crime in Islington's Neighbourhoods
Angel is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Islington, followed by Highbury Fields in second place, and King's Cross & Pentonville as the third most dangerous area. Islington's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Hilldrop, Lower Holloway, and Tufnell Park East.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angel | 1,975 | 185 | First |
| Archway East | 738 | 75 | 20th |
| Archway West | 1,236 | 140 | Sixth |
| Barnsbury East | 746 | 75 | 19th |
| Barnsbury West | 777 | 84 | 14th |
| Caledonian Road | 1,243 | 95 | 13th |
| Canonbury East & Mildmay Park | 955 | 82 | 15th |
| Clerkenwell | 1,876 | 120 | Eighth |
| Finsbury Park West | 1,483 | 143 | Fourth |
| Gillespie Road | 1,208 | 114 | Ninth |
| Highbury | 724 | 81 | 16th |
| Highbury Fields | 1,495 | 157 | Second |
| Highcroft & Holly Park | 751 | 75 | 18th |
| Hilldrop | 593 | 68 | 23rd |
| Holloway Nag's Head | 1,143 | 124 | Seventh |
| Islington East & Arlington | 935 | 100 | 11th |
| Islington North & Canonbury West | 1,113 | 98 | 12th |
| King's Cross & Pentonville | 1,477 | 151 | Third |
| Lower Holloway | 1,047 | 72 | 22nd |
| Newington Green | 727 | 80 | 17th |
| Old Street & St Luke's | 1,704 | 140 | Fifth |
| Tollington | 1,158 | 102 | Tenth |
| Tufnell Park East | 643 | 74 | 21st |
Islington Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Islington for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Barnsbury East (286) | Archway West (769) |
| Bicycle Theft | Caledonian Road (23) | Highbury Fields (125) |
| Burglary | Hilldrop (39) | Clerkenwell (214) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Barnsbury East (37) | Archway West (84) |
| Drugs | Tufnell Park East (22) | King's Cross & Pentonville (109) |
| Other Crime | Newington Green (3) | Hilldrop (16) |
| Other Theft | Tufnell Park East (40) | King's Cross & Pentonville (268) |
| Possession of Weapons | Barnsbury East (2) | King's Cross & Pentonville (18) |
| Public Order | Newington Green (35) | Angel (172) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Archway East (13) | Angel (97) |
| Shoplifting | Highbury (1) | Angel (310) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Hilldrop (17) | Finsbury Park West (282) |
| Vehicle Crime | Lower Holloway (81) | Tufnell Park East (125) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Tufnell Park East (165) | Archway West (373) |
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 April, when Islington saw a 208% 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. Shoplifting saw a fall in every month of Islington's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +26% | +208% | +200% | +100% | +58% | +49% | +44% | +57% | +84% | +69% |
| Bicycle Theft | +67% | -12% | +32% | +57% | +32% | +157% | +80% | +50% | +92% | +29% |
| Burglary | -26% | -30% | -18% | -8% | -30% | -6% | -14% | -28% | -8% | -28% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +5% | -23% | -2% | -2% | +8% | +22% | +15% | -20% | +2% | +11% |
| Drugs | +5% | +44% | +60% | +55% | +13% | -11% | +6% | +1% | -5% | -24% |
| Other Crime | -23% | -26% | -38% | -10% | -55% | +21% | +62% | -15% | -22% | -20% |
| Other Theft | -38% | -75% | -71% | -61% | -47% | -28% | -21% | -35% | -53% | -59% |
| Possession of Weapons | -43% | -35% | -5% | -50% | -60% | -46% | - | +7% | +55% | -47% |
| Public Order | -22% | -21% | -6% | +18% | +8% | +77% | +30% | +18% | -3% | -21% |
| Robbery | -10% | -72% | -62% | -55% | -51% | -25% | -4% | -27% | -49% | -11% |
| Shoplifting | -43% | -61% | -49% | -36% | -12% | -15% | +3% | -18% | -39% | -57% |
| Theft From the Person | -3% | -82% | -80% | -75% | -61% | -38% | -12% | -37% | -32% | -7% |
| Vehicle Crime | -28% | -44% | -25% | +1% | +9% | +20% | -18% | -25% | -4% | -19% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -23% | -28% | -18% | -6% | -5% | +21% | +10% | -20% | -22% | -10% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Islington
What police force serves Islington?
Islington's local territorial police force is the Metropolitan Police Service.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 Apr 2021