Kensington and Chelsea Crime Overview
Kensington and Chelsea is among the top 5 most dangerous cities in London. The overall crime rate in Kensington and Chelsea in 2020 was 104 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to London's overall crime rate, coming in 22% higher than London's rate of 81 per 1,000 residents. For England and Wales as a whole, Kensington and Chelsea ranks as the among the top 10 most dangerous city, and the the 350th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In August 2018, Kensington and Chelsea had the worst crime rate in London for drugs, with 392 crimes reported and a crime rate of 2.5 per 1,000 inhabitants. August 2015 was also a bad month for Kensington and Chelsea residents, when it was London's most dangerous area for possession of weapons, recording 30 crimes at a rate of 0.19 per 1,000 residents.
The most common crimes in Kensington and Chelsea are violence and sexual offences, with 3,843 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 25. This is 16% lower than 2019's figure of 4,463 offences and a difference of 3.98 from 2019's crime rate of 29. Kensington and Chelsea's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 116 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 8% from 2019's figure of 125 crimes.
Kensington and Chelsea Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Kensington and Chelsea This Year
| Kensington and Chelsea | London | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 8,089 | 51.81 | 386,651 | 43.14 | 17% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 716 | 4.59 | 23,018 | 2.57 | 44% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 1,471 | 9.42 | 56,330 | 6.29 | 33% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 796 | 5.10 | 47,563 | 5.31 | 4.1% safer |
| Drugs | 950 | 6.08 | 49,029 | 5.47 | 10% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 154 | 0.99 | 9,534 | 1.06 | 7% safer |
| Other Theft | 2,485 | 15.92 | 77,783 | 8.68 | 45% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 116 | 0.74 | 5,602 | 0.63 | 15% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 1,114 | 7.14 | 52,270 | 5.83 | 18% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 552 | 3.54 | 25,480 | 2.84 | 20% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 1,026 | 6.57 | 32,905 | 3.67 | 44% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 794 | 5.09 | 31,829 | 3.55 | 30% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 2,236 | 14.32 | 99,978 | 11.16 | 22% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 3,843 | 24.61 | 211,943 | 23.65 | 3.9% more dangerous |
Kensington and Chelsea Compared to Nearby Cities
| Cities | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hammersmith and Fulham | 17,115 | 92.44 | 13% safer |
| Southwark | 29,614 | 92.88 | 12% safer |
| Haringey | 25,571 | 95.18 | 9% safer |
| Hackney | 27,345 | 97.27 | 7% safer |
| Islington | 24,146 | 99.58 | 4.5% safer |
| Kensington and Chelsea | 16,253 | 104.10 | - |
| Camden | 28,903 | 107.04 | 2.7% more dangerous |
| Westminster | 43,733 | 167.36 | 38% more dangerous |
| City of London | 5,401 | 555.60 | 81% more dangerous |
Kensington and Chelsea Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 31 | 29 | 32 | 52 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 4.3 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 4.6 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 11 | 13 | 14 | 9 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | Safer |
| Drugs | 9 | 9 | 8 | 6 | Safer |
| Other Crime | 1.6 | 1.3 | 0.95 | 0.99 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 22 | 24 | 30 | 16 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.93 | 0.98 | 0.80 | 0.74 | Safer |
| Public Order | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | Safer |
| Robbery | 4.1 | 4.5 | 6 | 3.5 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 11 | 10 | 11 | 7 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person | 8 | 10 | 13 | 5 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 20 | 18 | 22 | 14 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 26 | 29 | 29 | 25 | Safer |
Comparing Kensington and Chelsea to the UK's Major Cities
| Cities | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Coventry | 71.50 | 46% safer |
| Sheffield | 73.99 | 41% safer |
| Kirklees | 74.23 | 40% safer |
| Croydon | 77.18 | 35% safer |
| Bradford | 79.19 | 31% safer |
| London | 80.70 | 29% safer |
| Birmingham | 89.02 | 17% safer |
| Bristol | 91.57 | 14% safer |
| Leeds | 91.90 | 13% safer |
| Leicester | 102.51 | 1.6% safer |
| Kensington and Chelsea | 104.10 | - |
| Liverpool | 105.94 | 1.7% more dangerous |
Crime in Kensington and Chelsea During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Kensington and Chelsea change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in April, when Kensington and Chelsea saw a 155% increase in anti-social behaviour. Kensington and Chelsea saw a large fall in theft from the person during May, when it fell by 91% compared to May in 2019. Kensington and Chelsea saw consistent falls in the crime rate of several types of crime during every month of its Coronavirus lockdown, including burglary, other theft, shoplifting, theft from the person, and violence and sexual offences.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Oct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -3% | +155% | +145% | +110% | +38% | +47% | +80% | +98% | +89% |
| Bicycle Theft | -40% | +2% | +3% | +9% | +58% | +43% | +73% | +85% | +30% |
| Burglary | -8% | -44% | -42% | -49% | -23% | -29% | -30% | -31% | -42% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -25% | -49% | -26% | -28% | +21% | +15% | +28% | +23% | -8% |
| Drugs | -40% | +27% | +84% | +48% | +29% | -80% | -48% | +3% | +3% |
| Other Crime | +15% | -43% | +55% | +44% | - | +33% | +111% | +70% | +36% |
| Other Theft | -40% | -81% | -73% | -67% | -53% | -32% | -18% | -20% | -65% |
| Possession of Weapons | +60% | -30% | -18% | +71% | +29% | -58% | -27% | - | +71% |
| Public Order | -28% | -23% | -8% | -11% | +9% | +12% | -2% | +19% | -13% |
| Robbery | +8% | -76% | -54% | -67% | -44% | -46% | -29% | -44% | -62% |
| Shoplifting | -19% | -77% | -73% | -45% | -20% | -46% | -10% | -20% | -69% |
| Theft From the Person | -40% | -86% | -91% | -89% | -76% | -77% | -44% | -56% | -73% |
| Vehicle Crime | -31% | -71% | -75% | -50% | +11% | +3% | +14% | -22% | -44% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -5% | -15% | -13% | -3% | -2% | -22% | -2% | -14% | -11% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Kensington and Chelsea
What police force serves Kensington and Chelsea?
Kensington and Chelsea's local territorial police force is the Metropolitan Police Service.How dangerous is Kensington and Chelsea?
Kensington and Chelsea is among the top 5 most dangerous cities in London.What is Kensington and Chelsea's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Kensington and Chelsea are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Kensington and Chelsea?
Kensington and Chelsea's least common crimes are possession of weapons.Last updated: 01 Mar 2021