Kingston upon Thames Crime Overview
Kingston upon Thames is the second safest city in London, and is the second safest overall out of London's 33 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Kingston upon Thames in 2020 was 61 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to London's overall crime rate, coming in 44% lower than the London rate of 87 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Kingston upon Thames is among the top 10 safest cities, and the 2,037th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
The most common crimes in Kingston upon Thames are violence and sexual offences, with 3,465 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 20. This is 0.09% lower than 2019's figure of 3,468 offences and a difference of 0.02 from 2019's crime rate of 20. Kingston upon Thames's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 69 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 19% from 2019's figure of 82 crimes.
Compare Kingston upon Thames to other towns and cities
See how Kingston upon Thames shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Kingston upon Thames and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Kingston upon Thames Crime Map
Crime in Kingston upon Thames Compared To London
Summary of Crimes in Kingston upon Thames This Year
| Kingston upon Thames | London | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 6,589 | 37.12 | 416,486 | 46.52 | 25% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 472 | 2.66 | 24,355 | 2.72 | 2.3% safer |
| Burglary | 863 | 4.86 | 61,090 | 6.82 | 40% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 760 | 4.28 | 51,728 | 5.78 | 35% safer |
| Drugs | 1,064 | 5.99 | 52,789 | 5.90 | 1.5% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 116 | 0.65 | 10,337 | 1.15 | 77% safer |
| Other Theft | 1,013 | 5.71 | 84,210 | 9.41 | 65% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 69 | 0.39 | 6,014 | 0.67 | 72% safer |
| Public Order | 743 | 4.19 | 56,368 | 6.30 | 50% safer |
| Robbery | 217 | 1.22 | 27,544 | 3.08 | 152% safer |
| Shoplifting | 546 | 3.08 | 35,659 | 3.98 | 29% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 324 | 1.83 | 35,117 | 3.92 | 114% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 1,118 | 6.30 | 107,687 | 12.03 | 91% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 3,465 | 19.52 | 229,978 | 25.69 | 32% safer |
Kingston upon Thames Compared to Nearby Cities
Crime Over Time in Kingston upon Thames
View crime percentage over time forKingston upon Thames Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 18 | 17 | 18 | 37 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 2.0 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 2.7 | Safer |
| Burglary | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4.9 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4.3 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.9 | 2.3 | 4.6 | 6 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.72 | 0.70 | 0.88 | 0.65 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 7 | 9 | 8 | 6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.37 | 0.41 | 0.46 | 0.39 | Safer |
| Public Order | 4.0 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.2 | Safer |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 1.0 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 1.2 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3.1 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.9 | 2.7 | 2.9 | 1.8 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 18 | 20 | 20 | 20 | Getting worse |
Changes In Kingston upon Thames's Crime Rates Over Time
Offences in Kingston upon Thames's Green Spaces
We only display green spaces in Kingston upon Thames that are named, and have had crimes recorded within their boundaries during 2020.
| Name | ASB | Drugs | Public Order | Robbery | VSO | All Others | Crimes per Hectare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athelstan Recreation Ground | 10 | 4 | 2 | - | 4 | 4 | 21 |
| King George's Recreation Ground | 3 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0.35 |
| Latchmere Recreation Ground | 9 | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 2.8 |
| The Sir Francis Barker Recreation Ground | 1 | - | - | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1.2 |
Comparing Kingston upon Thames to the UK's Major Cities
| City | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Kingston upon Thames | 60.67 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 10% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 22% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 27% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 29% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 30% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 38% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 41% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 43% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 54% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 56% more dangerous |
Crime in Kingston upon Thames's Neighbourhoods
Kingston Riverside is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Kingston upon Thames, followed by Surbiton North in second place, and Kingston East & Norbiton West as the third most dangerous area. Kingston upon Thames's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Berrylands North, Berrylands South, and Motspur Park.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berrylands North | 260 | 32 | 18th |
| Berrylands South | 197 | 26 | 20th |
| Chessington North | 208 | 35 | 16th |
| Chessington South & Malden Rushett | 469 | 53 | Tenth |
| Hook | 340 | 44 | 14th |
| Kingston East & Norbiton West | 899 | 76 | Third |
| Kingston Hill | 568 | 58 | Sixth |
| Kingston North | 746 | 55 | Eighth |
| Kingston Riverside | 2,209 | 195 | First |
| Kingston Vale & Coombe Hill | 418 | 49 | 12th |
| Malden Manor | 435 | 57 | Seventh |
| Motspur Park | 254 | 31 | 19th |
| New Malden East | 624 | 67 | Fifth |
| New Malden West | 317 | 38 | 15th |
| Norbiton East | 487 | 54 | Ninth |
| Southborough | 400 | 48 | 13th |
| Surbiton North | 595 | 79 | Second |
| Surbiton South | 407 | 50 | 11th |
| Tolworth | 651 | 70 | Fourth |
| Tudor Drive | 286 | 35 | 17th |
Kingston upon Thames Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Kingston upon Thames for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Berrylands South (94) | Kingston Riverside (1,096) |
| Bicycle Theft | Hook (1) | Kingston Riverside (199) |
| Burglary | Southborough (21) | Kingston Vale & Coombe Hill (79) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Berrylands South (13) | Kingston Riverside (102) |
| Drugs | Hook (14) | Kingston Riverside (272) |
| Other Crime | Kingston Vale & Coombe Hill (1) | Kingston Riverside (15) |
| Other Theft | Motspur Park (11) | Kingston Riverside (247) |
| Possession of Weapons | Chessington South & Malden Rushett (1) | Kingston Riverside (16) |
| Public Order | Berrylands South (10) | Kingston Riverside (148) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Southborough (2) | Kingston Riverside (75) |
| Shoplifting | Kingston Vale & Coombe Hill (1) | Kingston Riverside (254) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | New Malden West (1) | Kingston Riverside (236) |
| Vehicle Crime | Surbiton North (29) | Tolworth (117) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Berrylands South (56) | Kingston Riverside (494) |
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. Robbery saw a fall in every month of Kingston upon Thames's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +50% | +274% | +219% | +135% | +67% | +72% | +71% | +90% | +105% | +161% |
| Bicycle Theft | -70% | -52% | -53% | -52% | -3% | -2% | +82% | +26% | +37% | -21% |
| Burglary | -22% | -38% | -38% | -23% | -13% | -3% | -8% | -40% | -45% | -24% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -26% | -43% | -48% | -16% | +10% | - | -7% | -14% | -11% | -27% |
| Drugs | -31% | -17% | +108% | +81% | -2% | +22% | -4% | +34% | +69% | +22% |
| Other Crime | -13% | -71% | -29% | -8% | -17% | -21% | +20% | +18% | -50% | -46% |
| Other Theft | -10% | -51% | -45% | -31% | -28% | - | +20% | -27% | -33% | -34% |
| Possession of Weapons | +38% | +25% | -25% | +20% | -20% | -45% | +14% | -38% | -50% | -43% |
| Public Order | -30% | -30% | -25% | -27% | +15% | -6% | +38% | -8% | -28% | +17% |
| Robbery | -31% | -84% | -81% | -39% | -27% | -44% | -39% | -38% | -10% | - |
| Shoplifting | -17% | -68% | -70% | -70% | -43% | -39% | -24% | -20% | -51% | -42% |
| Theft From the Person | -20% | - | -92% | -60% | -38% | +3% | +6% | -41% | -64% | -29% |
| Vehicle Crime | -7% | -58% | -43% | -16% | -24% | +6% | +29% | +7% | +7% | -52% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -14% | -8% | -13% | +16% | +23% | +6% | -7% | -2% | -7% | -2% |
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: 07 May 2021