Lambeth Crime Overview
Lambeth is among the top 10 most dangerous cities in London, and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of London's 33 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Lambeth in 2020 was 93 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to London's overall crime rate, coming in 6% higher than the London rate of 87 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Lambeth is the 22nd most dangerous city, and the 637th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In September 2020, Lambeth had the worst crime rate in London for possession of weapons, with 36 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.11 per 1,000 inhabitants. February 2019 was also a bad month for Lambeth residents, when it was London's most dangerous area for drugs, recording 211 crimes at a rate of 0.65 per 1,000 residents. Lambeth recorded 1,057 reports of violence and sexual offences during July 2018, making its crime rate of 3.2 the worst for violence and sexual offences in London that month.
The most common crimes in Lambeth are violence and sexual offences, with 9,239 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 28. This is 6% lower than 2019's figure of 9,831 offences and a difference of 1.81 from 2019's crime rate of 30. Lambeth's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 319 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 21% from 2019's figure of 387 crimes.
Compare Lambeth to other towns and cities
See how Lambeth shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Lambeth and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Lambeth Crime Map
Crime in Lambeth Compared To London
Summary of Crimes in Lambeth This Year
| Lambeth | London | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 18,479 | 56.68 | 416,486 | 46.52 | 18% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 1,284 | 3.94 | 24,355 | 2.72 | 31% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 2,578 | 7.91 | 61,090 | 6.82 | 14% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 2,037 | 6.25 | 51,728 | 5.78 | 8% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 2,352 | 7.21 | 52,789 | 5.90 | 18% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 357 | 1.09 | 10,337 | 1.15 | 6% safer |
| Other Theft | 3,318 | 10.18 | 84,210 | 9.41 | 8% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 319 | 0.98 | 6,014 | 0.67 | 32% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 2,484 | 7.62 | 56,368 | 6.30 | 17% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 1,111 | 3.41 | 27,544 | 3.08 | 10% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 1,086 | 3.33 | 35,659 | 3.98 | 20% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 1,277 | 3.92 | 35,117 | 3.92 | 0% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 2,953 | 9.06 | 107,687 | 12.03 | 33% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 9,239 | 28.34 | 229,978 | 25.69 | 9% more dangerous |
Lambeth Compared to Nearby Cities
| City | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brent | 27,932 | 84.70 | 10% safer |
| Greenwich | 24,721 | 85.85 | 9% safer |
| Hounslow | 23,385 | 86.13 | 8% safer |
| Barking and Dagenham | 18,441 | 86.62 | 8% safer |
| Lewisham | 26,978 | 88.21 | 6% safer |
| Lambeth | 30,395 | 93.23 | - |
| Newham | 33,029 | 93.53 | 0.32% more dangerous |
| Tower Hamlets | 30,740 | 94.66 | 1.5% more dangerous |
| Southwark | 31,822 | 99.81 | 7% more dangerous |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | 18,574 | 100.32 | 7% more dangerous |
| Haringey | 28,144 | 104.76 | 11% more dangerous |
Crime Over Time in Lambeth
View crime percentage over time forLambeth Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 30 | 28 | 30 | 57 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 3.6 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 3.9 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 9 | 10 | 10 | 8 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | Safer |
| Drugs | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.1 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 15 | 17 | 17 | 10 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 0.98 | Safer |
| Public Order | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.4 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 4.8 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 3.3 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 7 | 7 | 8 | 3.9 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 10 | 12 | 10 | 9 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 29 | 30 | 30 | 28 | Safer |
Changes In Lambeth's Crime Rates Over Time
Offences in Lambeth's Green Spaces
We only display green spaces in Lambeth 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brockwell Park | 97 | - | 4 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 2.3 |
| Jubilee Gardens | 16 | 13 | - | 4 | 1 | 10 | 27 |
| Knights Hill Recreation Ground | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | 0 | 1.2 |
| Lambeth High Street Recreation Ground | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 1.3 |
| Rush Common | 13 | 2 | 2 | - | 15 | 14 | 14 |
| St Matthew's Church | - | 30 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 28 | 171 |
Comparing Lambeth to the UK's Major Cities
| City | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 38% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 20% safer |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 12% safer |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 9% safer |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 8% safer |
| Lambeth | 93.23 | - |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 4.3% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 9% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 13% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 30% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 32% more dangerous |
Crime in Lambeth's Neighbourhoods
Lambeth North, Waterloo & South Bank is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Lambeth, followed by Brixton North in second place, and Brixton Central as the third most dangerous area. Lambeth's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Clapham Park West, Streatham Vale, and West Norwood West & Streatham East.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acre Lane | 739 | 80 | 19th |
| Brixton Central | 1,352 | 149 | Third |
| Brixton Hill East | 834 | 92 | 12th |
| Brixton Hill West | 818 | 76 | 23rd |
| Brixton North | 1,982 | 205 | Second |
| Clapham Common North | 831 | 123 | Fourth |
| Clapham North | 844 | 93 | Tenth |
| Clapham Old Town | 738 | 92 | 11th |
| Clapham Park East & Streatham Hill North | 454 | 56 | 31st |
| Clapham Park West | 493 | 50 | 35th |
| Clapham South | 623 | 76 | 20th |
| Gipsy Hill | 637 | 82 | 15th |
| Herne Hill East | 910 | 96 | Ninth |
| Kennington West & Vauxhall North | 776 | 73 | 25th |
| Lambeth North, Waterloo & South Bank | 3,313 | 292 | First |
| Lambeth Walk & North Kennington | 694 | 76 | 21st |
| Leigham Vale & Royal Circus | 629 | 70 | 26th |
| Loughborough Road | 674 | 81 | 17th |
| Oval | 807 | 91 | 13th |
| Poets' Corner & Brockwell Park | 917 | 99 | Eighth |
| Stockwell East | 678 | 76 | 22nd |
| Stockwell North | 483 | 60 | 30th |
| Stockwell South | 988 | 100 | Sixth |
| Stockwell West | 688 | 81 | 16th |
| Streatham Central | 838 | 81 | 18th |
| Streatham Common | 573 | 63 | 29th |
| Streatham Green | 1,353 | 100 | Seventh |
| Streatham Hill | 787 | 82 | 14th |
| Streatham Vale | 428 | 54 | 33rd |
| Tulse Hill | 486 | 56 | 32nd |
| Vauxhall South | 1,498 | 120 | Fifth |
| West Dulwich | 656 | 67 | 28th |
| West Norwood East | 732 | 74 | 24th |
| West Norwood South | 582 | 70 | 27th |
| West Norwood West & Streatham East | 498 | 54 | 34th |
Lambeth Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Lambeth for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Streatham Vale (219) | Lambeth North, Waterloo & South Bank (1,163) |
| Bicycle Theft | West Norwood South (2) | Lambeth North, Waterloo & South Bank (211) |
| Burglary | Streatham Vale (25) | Acre Lane (100) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Clapham Park West (31) | Lambeth North, Waterloo & South Bank (159) |
| Drugs | Streatham Vale (11) | Lambeth North, Waterloo & South Bank (314) |
| Other Crime | Clapham Park East & Streatham Hill North (1) | Brixton Hill West (25) |
| Other Theft | Streatham Vale (18) | Lambeth North, Waterloo & South Bank (720) |
| Possession of Weapons | Clapham Park West (1) | Lambeth North, Waterloo & South Bank (32) |
| Public Order | Clapham Park West (27) | Lambeth North, Waterloo & South Bank (246) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Clapham Park East & Streatham Hill North (4) | Lambeth North, Waterloo & South Bank (204) |
| Shoplifting | West Dulwich (1) | Lambeth North, Waterloo & South Bank (161) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Loughborough Road (2) | Lambeth North, Waterloo & South Bank (339) |
| Vehicle Crime | Stockwell East (44) | Streatham Hill (137) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Clapham Park West (147) | Lambeth North, Waterloo & South Bank (710) |
Crime in Lambeth During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Lambeth change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in April, when Lambeth saw a 233% increase in anti-social behaviour. Lambeth saw a large fall in theft from the person during April, when it fell by 88% compared to April in 2019. Lambeth 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 | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +38% | +233% | +205% | +101% | +50% | +61% | +66% | +77% | +101% | +89% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | -38% | -5% | +31% | -2% | +104% | +105% | +103% | +51% | +22% |
| Burglary | -40% | -35% | -38% | -32% | -22% | -11% | +3% | -1% | -6% | -13% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -9% | -25% | -12% | +22% | +15% | +20% | -1% | -4% | +22% | -2% |
| Drugs | -21% | +56% | +60% | -16% | -17% | +16% | +18% | +38% | +49% | +1% |
| Other Crime | -26% | -15% | -43% | +18% | +68% | -21% | +59% | +10% | -30% | +17% |
| Other Theft | -33% | -73% | -70% | -55% | -32% | -25% | -16% | -49% | -47% | -45% |
| Possession of Weapons | -38% | -23% | -24% | -30% | +7% | -19% | +38% | -43% | +37% | -34% |
| Public Order | -1% | -19% | -12% | -1% | +28% | +29% | +39% | +7% | -1% | +26% |
| Robbery | -11% | -53% | -58% | -1% | -34% | +10% | -3% | -21% | -32% | -17% |
| Shoplifting | -26% | -57% | -43% | -44% | -4% | +26% | -24% | -29% | -38% | -11% |
| Theft From the Person | -41% | -88% | -86% | -73% | -68% | -63% | -35% | -44% | -47% | -52% |
| Vehicle Crime | -28% | -38% | -37% | -22% | +13% | +21% | +12% | -9% | -23% | -31% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -11% | -17% | -12% | -2% | -4% | +16% | +1% | -12% | -7% | -14% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Lambeth
What police force serves Lambeth?
Lambeth's local territorial police force is the Metropolitan Police Service.How dangerous is Lambeth?
Lambeth is among the top 10 most dangerous cities in London.What is Lambeth's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Lambeth are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Lambeth?
Lambeth's least common crimes are possession of weapons.Last updated: 07 May 2021