Kingston upon Thames Crime Overview
Kingston upon Thames is the second safest city in London. The overall crime rate in Kingston upon Thames in 2020 was 56 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to London's overall crime rate, coming in 44% lower than London's rate of 81 per 1,000 residents. For England and Wales as a whole, Kingston upon Thames ranks as the the 25th safest city, and the the 2,020th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
The most common crimes in Kingston upon Thames are violence and sexual offences, with 3,193 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 18. This is 9% lower than 2019's figure of 3,468 offences and a difference of 1.55 from 2019's crime rate of 20. Kingston upon Thames's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 65 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 26% from 2019's figure of 82 crimes.
Kingston upon Thames Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Kingston upon Thames This Year
| Kingston upon Thames | London | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 5,954 | 33.54 | 386,651 | 43.14 | 29% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 446 | 2.51 | 23,018 | 2.57 | 2.4% safer |
| Burglary | 797 | 4.49 | 56,330 | 6.29 | 40% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 701 | 3.95 | 47,563 | 5.31 | 34% safer |
| Drugs | 991 | 5.58 | 49,029 | 5.47 | 2.0% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 109 | 0.61 | 9,534 | 1.06 | 74% safer |
| Other Theft | 944 | 5.32 | 77,783 | 8.68 | 63% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 65 | 0.37 | 5,602 | 0.63 | 70% safer |
| Public Order | 675 | 3.80 | 52,270 | 5.83 | 53% safer |
| Robbery | 193 | 1.09 | 25,480 | 2.84 | 161% safer |
| Shoplifting | 502 | 2.83 | 32,905 | 3.67 | 30% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 290 | 1.63 | 31,829 | 3.55 | 118% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 1,057 | 5.95 | 99,978 | 11.16 | 88% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 3,193 | 17.99 | 211,943 | 23.65 | 31% safer |
Kingston upon Thames Compared to Nearby Cities
Kingston upon Thames Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 18 | 17 | 18 | 34 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 2.0 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 2.5 | Safer |
| Burglary | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4.5 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4.0 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.9 | 2.3 | 4.6 | 6 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.72 | 0.70 | 0.88 | 0.61 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 7 | 9 | 8 | 5 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.37 | 0.41 | 0.46 | 0.37 | Safer |
| Public Order | 4.0 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 3.8 | Safer |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 1.0 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 1.1 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 6 | 6 | 5 | 2.8 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.9 | 2.7 | 2.9 | 1.6 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 | Safer |
Comparing Kingston upon Thames to the UK's Major Cities
| Cities | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Kingston upon Thames | 56.13 | - |
| Coventry | 71.50 | 21% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 73.99 | 24% more dangerous |
| Kirklees | 74.23 | 24% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 77.18 | 27% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 79.19 | 29% more dangerous |
| London | 80.70 | 30% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 89.02 | 37% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 91.57 | 39% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 91.90 | 39% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 102.51 | 45% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 105.94 | 47% more dangerous |
Crime in Kingston upon Thames During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Kingston upon Thames change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in April, when Kingston upon Thames saw a 274% increase in anti-social behaviour. Kingston upon Thames saw a large fall in theft from the person during May, when it fell by 92% compared to May in 2019. Kingston upon Thames saw consistent falls in the crime rate of several types of crime during every month of its Coronavirus lockdown, including burglary, robbery, and shoplifting.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Oct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +50% | +274% | +219% | +135% | +67% | +72% | +71% | +90% | +105% |
| Bicycle Theft | -70% | -52% | -53% | -52% | -3% | -2% | +82% | +26% | +37% |
| Burglary | -22% | -38% | -38% | -23% | -13% | -3% | -8% | -40% | -45% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -26% | -43% | -48% | -16% | +10% | - | -7% | -14% | -11% |
| Drugs | -31% | -17% | +108% | +81% | -2% | +22% | -4% | +34% | +69% |
| Other Crime | -13% | -71% | -29% | -8% | -17% | -21% | +20% | +18% | -50% |
| Other Theft | -10% | -51% | -45% | -31% | -28% | - | +20% | -27% | -33% |
| Possession of Weapons | +38% | +25% | -25% | +20% | -20% | -45% | +14% | -38% | -50% |
| Public Order | -30% | -30% | -25% | -27% | +15% | -6% | +38% | -8% | -28% |
| Robbery | -31% | -84% | -81% | -39% | -27% | -44% | -39% | -38% | -10% |
| Shoplifting | -17% | -68% | -70% | -70% | -43% | -39% | -24% | -20% | -51% |
| Theft From the Person | -20% | - | -92% | -60% | -38% | +3% | +6% | -41% | -64% |
| Vehicle Crime | -7% | -58% | -43% | -16% | -24% | +6% | +29% | +7% | +7% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -14% | -8% | -13% | +16% | +23% | +6% | -7% | -2% | -7% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Kingston upon Thames
What police force serves Kingston upon Thames?
Kingston upon Thames's local territorial police force is the Metropolitan Police Service.How dangerous is Kingston upon Thames?
Kingston upon Thames is the second safest city in London.What is Kingston upon Thames's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Kingston upon Thames are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Kingston upon Thames?
Kingston upon Thames's least common crimes are possession of weapons.Last updated: 01 Mar 2021