Kensington and Chelsea Crime Overview
Kensington and Chelsea is the most dangerous major town in London, and is among the top 5 most dangerous overall out of London's 33 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Kensington and Chelsea in 2020 was 113 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to London's overall crime rate, coming in 23% higher than the London rate of 87 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Kensington and Chelsea is among the top 20 most dangerous major towns, and the 328th 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 397 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 4,203 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 27. This is 7% lower than 2019's figure of 4,498 offences and a difference of 1.89 from 2019's crime rate of 29. Kensington and Chelsea's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 122 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 1.6% from 2019's figure of 124 crimes.
Compare Kensington and Chelsea to other towns and cities
See how Kensington and Chelsea shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Kensington and Chelsea and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Kensington and Chelsea Crime Map
Crime in Kensington and Chelsea Compared To London
Summary of Crimes in Kensington and Chelsea This Year
| Kensington and Chelsea | London | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 8,978 | 57.50 | 416,486 | 46.52 | 19% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 779 | 4.99 | 24,355 | 2.72 | 45% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 1,619 | 10.37 | 61,090 | 6.82 | 34% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 859 | 5.50 | 51,728 | 5.78 | 5% safer |
| Drugs | 1,040 | 6.66 | 52,789 | 5.90 | 11% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 161 | 1.03 | 10,337 | 1.15 | 12% safer |
| Other Theft | 2,696 | 17.27 | 84,210 | 9.41 | 46% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 122 | 0.78 | 6,014 | 0.67 | 14% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 1,211 | 7.76 | 56,368 | 6.30 | 19% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 589 | 3.77 | 27,544 | 3.08 | 18% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 1,078 | 6.90 | 35,659 | 3.98 | 42% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 873 | 5.59 | 35,117 | 3.92 | 30% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 2,475 | 15.85 | 107,687 | 12.03 | 24% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 4,203 | 26.92 | 229,978 | 25.69 | 4.6% more dangerous |
Crime Over Time in Kensington and Chelsea
View crime percentage over time forKensington and Chelsea Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 31 | 29 | 32 | 58 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 4.4 | 3.4 | 4.0 | 5.0 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 11 | 13 | 14 | 10 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | Safer |
| Drugs | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | Safer |
| Other Crime | 1.6 | 1.4 | 0.92 | 1.0 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 22 | 24 | 30 | 17 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.96 | 0.97 | 0.79 | 0.78 | Safer |
| Public Order | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safer |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 4.2 | 4.6 | 6 | 3.8 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 11 | 10 | 10 | 7 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 8 | 10 | 13 | 6 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 20 | 18 | 22 | 16 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 26 | 29 | 29 | 27 | Safer |
Changes In Kensington and Chelsea's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Kensington and Chelsea to the UK's Major Cities
| Major Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 67% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 46% safer |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 36% safer |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 32% safer |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 32% safer |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 16% safer |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 10% safer |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 6% safer |
| Kensington and Chelsea | 113.40 | - |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 15% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 17% more dangerous |
Crime in Kensington and Chelsea's Neighbourhoods
Hans Town is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Kensington and Chelsea, followed by Golborne & Swinbrook in second place, and North Kensington as the third most dangerous area. Kensington and Chelsea's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Chelsea Riverside West, Holland Park, and West Brompton.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brompton | 856 | 124 | Sixth |
| Chelsea Manor & Royal Hospital | 963 | 124 | Fifth |
| Chelsea Riverside East | 708 | 93 | 17th |
| Chelsea Riverside West | 596 | 84 | 19th |
| Earl's Court | 736 | 107 | 12th |
| Fulham Road | 696 | 90 | 18th |
| Golborne & Swinbrook | 983 | 148 | Second |
| Hans Town | 2,061 | 264 | First |
| Holland Park | 529 | 66 | 20th |
| Kensington Abingdon | 728 | 96 | 15th |
| Kensington Gardens | 1,008 | 113 | Ninth |
| Ladbroke Grove | 626 | 109 | 11th |
| North Kensington | 1,048 | 130 | Third |
| Notting Dale | 636 | 101 | 13th |
| Notting Hill Gate | 835 | 115 | Eighth |
| Notting Hill South | 783 | 96 | 16th |
| Notting Hill West | 684 | 99 | 14th |
| Portobello | 972 | 124 | Fourth |
| Queen's Gate | 849 | 110 | Tenth |
| South Kensington | 864 | 124 | Seventh |
| West Brompton | 515 | 63 | 21st |
Kensington and Chelsea Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Kensington and Chelsea for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Fulham Road (241) | Golborne & Swinbrook (662) |
| Bicycle Theft | Brompton (14) | Golborne & Swinbrook (53) |
| Burglary | Ladbroke Grove (35) | Hans Town (147) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | West Brompton (24) | Ladbroke Grove (68) |
| Drugs | Fulham Road (18) | Golborne & Swinbrook (121) |
| Other Crime | Chelsea Riverside East (2) | Hans Town (18) |
| Other Theft | Holland Park (46) | Hans Town (347) |
| Possession of Weapons | West Brompton (1) | North Kensington (18) |
| Public Order | West Brompton (36) | Kensington Gardens (101) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Earl's Court (9) | Hans Town (62) |
| Shoplifting | Ladbroke Grove (3) | Hans Town (315) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Notting Dale (3) | Hans Town (156) |
| Vehicle Crime | Ladbroke Grove (35) | Hans Town (501) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Chelsea Riverside East (107) | Ladbroke Grove (281) |
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 156% increase in anti-social behaviour. Kensington and Chelsea saw a large fall in theft from the person during May, when it fell by 90% compared to May in 2019. Robbery saw a fall in every month of Kensington and Chelsea's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -1% | +156% | +143% | +111% | +38% | +46% | +78% | +98% | +92% | +137% |
| Bicycle Theft | -42% | - | +1% | +9% | +59% | +38% | +55% | +79% | +31% | +116% |
| Burglary | -8% | -44% | -41% | -49% | -22% | -30% | -28% | -32% | -41% | -25% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -24% | -49% | -23% | -29% | +21% | +13% | +25% | +20% | -8% | -28% |
| Drugs | -41% | +35% | +75% | +54% | +31% | -81% | -49% | +8% | +1% | +39% |
| Other Crime | +8% | -43% | +70% | +44% | +6% | +33% | +111% | +70% | +36% | -53% |
| Other Theft | -40% | -81% | -73% | -66% | -53% | -31% | -18% | -21% | -66% | -50% |
| Possession of Weapons | +50% | -30% | -18% | +100% | +43% | -58% | -36% | +9% | +57% | -30% |
| Public Order | -25% | -21% | -3% | -9% | +7% | +17% | - | +19% | -12% | -33% |
| Robbery | - | -77% | -58% | -68% | -44% | -47% | -30% | -44% | -60% | -54% |
| Shoplifting | -24% | -77% | -74% | -49% | -23% | -48% | -9% | -20% | -70% | -45% |
| Theft From the Person | -40% | -86% | -90% | -89% | -77% | -78% | -44% | -57% | -73% | -56% |
| Vehicle Crime | -32% | -71% | -75% | -50% | +12% | +3% | +14% | -22% | -44% | -41% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -6% | -17% | -14% | -3% | -3% | -21% | -4% | -15% | -10% | -1% |
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 the most dangerous major town 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: 07 May 2021