Lewisham Crime Overview
Lewisham is among the top 20 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 Lewisham in 2020 was 88 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to London's overall crime rate, coming in 0.86% higher than the London rate of 87 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Lewisham is the 26th most dangerous city, and the 746th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In June 2020, Lewisham had the worst crime rate in London for burglary, with 215 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.70 per 1,000 inhabitants. March 2018 was also a bad month for Lewisham residents, when it was London's most dangerous area for criminal damage and arson, recording 221 crimes at a rate of 0.72 per 1,000 residents. Lewisham recorded 25 reports of possession of weapons during December 2016, making its crime rate of 0.08 the worst for possession of weapons in London that month.
The most common crimes in Lewisham are violence and sexual offences, with 8,732 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 29. This is 0.38% higher than 2019's figure of 8,699 offences and a difference of 0.11 from 2019's crime rate of 28. Lewisham's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 259 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 8% from 2019's figure of 281 crimes.
Compare Lewisham to other towns and cities
See how Lewisham shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Lewisham and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Lewisham Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Lewisham This Year
| Lewisham | London | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 13,052 | 42.68 | 416,486 | 46.52 | 9% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 606 | 1.98 | 24,355 | 2.72 | 37% safer |
| Burglary | 2,409 | 7.88 | 61,090 | 6.82 | 13% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 2,108 | 6.89 | 51,728 | 5.78 | 16% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 1,453 | 4.75 | 52,789 | 5.90 | 24% safer |
| Other Crime | 323 | 1.06 | 10,337 | 1.15 | 8% safer |
| Other Theft | 2,349 | 7.68 | 84,210 | 9.41 | 23% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 259 | 0.85 | 6,014 | 0.67 | 21% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 2,193 | 7.17 | 56,368 | 6.30 | 12% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 956 | 3.13 | 27,544 | 3.08 | 1.6% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 1,225 | 4.01 | 35,659 | 3.98 | 0.75% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 511 | 1.67 | 35,117 | 3.92 | 135% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 3,854 | 12.60 | 107,687 | 12.03 | 4.5% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 8,732 | 28.55 | 229,978 | 25.69 | 10% more dangerous |
Crime in Lewisham Compared To London
Lewisham Compared to Nearby Cities
| City | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enfield | 28,260 | 84.66 | 4.2% safer |
| Brent | 27,932 | 84.70 | 4.1% safer |
| Greenwich | 24,721 | 85.85 | 2.7% safer |
| Hounslow | 23,385 | 86.13 | 2.4% safer |
| Barking and Dagenham | 18,441 | 86.62 | 1.8% safer |
| Lewisham | 26,978 | 88.21 | - |
| Lambeth | 30,395 | 93.23 | 5% more dangerous |
| Newham | 33,029 | 93.53 | 6% more dangerous |
| Tower Hamlets | 30,740 | 94.66 | 7% more dangerous |
| Southwark | 31,822 | 99.81 | 12% more dangerous |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | 18,574 | 100.32 | 12% more dangerous |
Lewisham Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 22 | 21 | 23 | 43 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 2.0 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | Safer |
| Drugs | 3.6 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 4.8 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.1 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.84 | 0.89 | 0.92 | 0.85 | Safer |
| Public Order | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 3.3 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 3.1 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 3.8 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 4.0 | Getting worse |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.9 | 1.7 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 9 | 11 | 13 | 13 | Getting worse |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | Getting worse |
Changes In Lewisham's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Lewisham to the UK's Major Cities
| City | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 30% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 14% safer |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 6% safer |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 2.8% safer |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 2.3% safer |
| Lewisham | 88.21 | - |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 9% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 14% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 18% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 34% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 36% more dangerous |
Crime in Lewisham's Neighbourhoods
Lewisham Central & Park is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Lewisham, followed by Catford Bridge in second place, and New Cross & Deptford South as the third most dangerous area. Lewisham's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Brockley West, Corbett Estate, and Grove Park & Lee South.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beckenham Hill | 601 | 80 | 17th |
| Bellingham & Perry Hill | 1,052 | 120 | Fourth |
| Blackheath Village | 583 | 85 | 13th |
| Blackheath West | 637 | 77 | 21st |
| Brockley East & St Johns | 911 | 105 | Sixth |
| Brockley West | 469 | 54 | 36th |
| Catford Bridge | 1,570 | 153 | Second |
| Catford East & Mountsfield Park | 725 | 109 | Fifth |
| Chinbrook | 500 | 76 | 22nd |
| Corbett Estate | 488 | 57 | 35th |
| Crofton Park | 437 | 63 | 31st |
| Culverley Green | 546 | 72 | 25th |
| Deptford North | 826 | 94 | Tenth |
| Downham East | 704 | 92 | 12th |
| Downham West | 623 | 77 | 20th |
| Forest Hill East | 482 | 58 | 32nd |
| Forest Hill West | 625 | 71 | 26th |
| Forster Park & Southend | 914 | 101 | Eighth |
| Further Green | 551 | 80 | 18th |
| Grove Park & Lee South | 506 | 57 | 34th |
| Hither Green | 841 | 101 | Seventh |
| Honor Oak | 653 | 74 | 23rd |
| Ladywell | 602 | 81 | 15th |
| Lee | 435 | 57 | 33rd |
| Lewisham Central & Park | 2,600 | 177 | First |
| Loampit & Hilly Fields | 485 | 65 | 29th |
| Lower Sydenham | 660 | 79 | 19th |
| Manor House | 706 | 81 | 16th |
| New Cross & Deptford South | 1,205 | 145 | Third |
| New Cross Gate | 906 | 97 | Ninth |
| New Cross South | 935 | 94 | 11th |
| Perry Vale | 625 | 74 | 24th |
| Silwood & Pepys | 808 | 69 | 27th |
| Sydenham Wells | 693 | 82 | 14th |
| Telegraph Hill | 569 | 65 | 30th |
| Upper Sydenham | 510 | 67 | 28th |
Lewisham Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Lewisham for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Crofton Park (137) | New Cross & Deptford South (625) |
| Bicycle Theft | Grove Park & Lee South (1) | Catford Bridge (80) |
| Burglary | Brockley West (29) | New Cross & Deptford South (139) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Crofton Park (19) | Further Green (69) |
| Drugs | Forest Hill West (12) | Lewisham Central & Park (195) |
| Other Crime | Forest Hill West (2) | New Cross & Deptford South (16) |
| Other Theft | Forest Hill East (28) | Lewisham Central & Park (296) |
| Possession of Weapons | Further Green (1) | New Cross & Deptford South (16) |
| Public Order | Corbett Estate (28) | Catford Bridge (165) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Corbett Estate (6) | Catford Bridge (84) |
| Shoplifting | Perry Vale (1) | Lewisham Central & Park (267) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Honor Oak (1) | Lewisham Central & Park (127) |
| Vehicle Crime | Blackheath West (48) | Brockley East & St Johns (204) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Lee (132) | Lewisham Central & Park (803) |
Crime in Lewisham During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Lewisham change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in April, when Lewisham saw a 290% increase in anti-social behaviour. Lewisham saw a large fall in theft from the person during May, when it fell by 79% compared to May in 2019. Other Theft saw a fall in every month of Lewisham's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +35% | +290% | +215% | +81% | +37% | +86% | +70% | +49% | +85% | +65% |
| Bicycle Theft | -28% | -14% | +39% | +14% | +165% | +154% | +47% | +90% | +113% | +136% |
| Burglary | -24% | -10% | -27% | 0% | -15% | -4% | -14% | +5% | +40% | -14% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -23% | -1% | -8% | +13% | +18% | +28% | +18% | -19% | -10% | -1% |
| Drugs | -13% | +92% | +92% | +35% | -1% | -40% | -50% | +42% | -6% | +44% |
| Other Crime | -24% | +3% | -31% | -4% | +52% | +13% | -17% | -22% | - | -33% |
| Other Theft | -33% | -38% | -36% | -20% | -18% | -6% | +5% | -5% | -20% | -22% |
| Possession of Weapons | -19% | +31% | -17% | -15% | +11% | -4% | +10% | -24% | -11% | -25% |
| Public Order | -12% | +18% | - | +28% | +12% | +21% | +37% | +14% | -5% | -1% |
| Robbery | +32% | -54% | -52% | -60% | -27% | +20% | -24% | -24% | -13% | -26% |
| Shoplifting | +1% | -42% | -42% | -17% | +28% | +16% | +35% | +7% | +31% | -6% |
| Theft From the Person | -17% | -77% | -79% | -67% | -36% | -58% | -28% | -22% | -24% | -41% |
| Vehicle Crime | -31% | -21% | -32% | -12% | +26% | - | +15% | +34% | +15% | -4% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -3% | -8% | -3% | +9% | +5% | +13% | +1% | -2% | -10% | -3% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Lewisham
What police force serves Lewisham?
Lewisham's local territorial police force is the Metropolitan Police Service.How dangerous is Lewisham?
Lewisham is among the top 20 most dangerous cities in London.What is Lewisham's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Lewisham are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Lewisham?
Lewisham's least common crimes are possession of weapons.Last updated: 01 Apr 2021