Merton Crime Overview
Merton is among the top 10 safest cities in London, and is among the top 10 safest overall out of London's 33 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Merton in 2020 was 65 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to London's overall crime rate, coming in 34% lower than the London rate of 87 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Merton is among the top 20 safest cities, and the 1,738th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
The most common crimes in Merton are violence and sexual offences, with 4,367 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 21. This is 4.0% higher than 2019's figure of 4,194 offences and a difference of 0.83 from 2019's crime rate of 20. Merton's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 100 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 6% from 2019's figure of 106 crimes.
Compare Merton to other towns and cities
See how Merton shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Merton and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Merton Crime Map
Crime in Merton Compared To London
Summary of Crimes in Merton This Year
| Merton | London | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 6,915 | 33.48 | 416,486 | 46.52 | 39% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 355 | 1.72 | 24,355 | 2.72 | 58% safer |
| Burglary | 980 | 4.74 | 61,090 | 6.82 | 44% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 1,026 | 4.97 | 51,728 | 5.78 | 16% safer |
| Drugs | 946 | 4.58 | 52,789 | 5.90 | 29% safer |
| Other Crime | 214 | 1.04 | 10,337 | 1.15 | 11% safer |
| Other Theft | 1,192 | 5.77 | 84,210 | 9.41 | 63% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 100 | 0.48 | 6,014 | 0.67 | 40% safer |
| Public Order | 1,063 | 5.15 | 56,368 | 6.30 | 22% safer |
| Robbery | 388 | 1.88 | 27,544 | 3.08 | 64% safer |
| Shoplifting | 563 | 2.73 | 35,659 | 3.98 | 46% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 246 | 1.19 | 35,117 | 3.92 | 229% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 2,013 | 9.75 | 107,687 | 12.03 | 23% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 4,367 | 21.14 | 229,978 | 25.69 | 22% safer |
Merton Compared to Nearby Cities
| City | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kingston upon Thames | 10,770 | 60.67 | 7% safer |
| Richmond upon Thames | 12,298 | 62.11 | 4.9% safer |
| Sutton | 12,872 | 62.38 | 4.4% safer |
| Bexley | 15,595 | 62.81 | 3.7% safer |
| Havering | 16,717 | 64.41 | 1.1% safer |
| Merton | 13,453 | 65.13 | - |
| Bromley | 21,684 | 65.25 | 0.18% more dangerous |
| Barnet | 26,806 | 67.71 | 3.8% more dangerous |
| Wandsworth | 24,282 | 73.65 | 12% more dangerous |
| Redbridge | 22,873 | 74.94 | 13% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 32,181 | 83.22 | 22% more dangerous |
Crime Over Time in Merton
View crime percentage over time forMerton Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 17 | 17 | 18 | 33 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 2.4 | 2.0 | 1.5 | 1.7 | Safer |
| Burglary | 7 | 7 | 8 | 4.7 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5.0 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.6 | 2.2 | 3.1 | 4.6 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.82 | 0.87 | 0.93 | 1.0 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 7 | 8 | 8 | 6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.57 | 0.47 | 0.51 | 0.48 | Safer |
| Public Order | 4.0 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 5 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 1.9 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 4.9 | 4.8 | 3.5 | 2.7 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.1 | 1.5 | 2.3 | 1.2 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | Getting worse |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 19 | 20 | 20 | 21 | Getting worse |
Changes In Merton's Crime Rates Over Time
Offences in Merton's Green Spaces
We only display green spaces in Merton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abbey Recreation Ground | 13 | - | - | - | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| All Saints Recreation Ground | - | - | 1 | - | 3 | 0 | 8 |
| Cannon Hill Common | 6 | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0.62 |
| Cricket Green | 6 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 3.7 |
| Drax Playing Field | 3 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0.29 |
| Emmanuel School Playing Field | 3 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0.68 |
| John Innes Recreation Ground | 3 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 1.8 |
| Joseph Hood Recreation Ground | 1 | - | 1 | - | 7 | 3 | 1.4 |
| King George's Playing Field | 7 | 2 | 1 | - | 1 | 2 | 1.6 |
| London Road Playing Fields | - | - | - | - | 2 | 5 | 1.2 |
| Morden Hall Park | 18 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 17 | 1.3 |
| Morden Park | 2 | 4 | - | - | 3 | 2 | 0.25 |
| Prince George's Playing Field | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0.07 |
| Raynes Park Tennis Club | - | - | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 24 |
| Sherwood Park | 3 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 17 |
| Tamworth Farm Recreation Ground | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1.2 |
| Wimbledon College Playing Fields | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 0.62 |
Comparing Merton to the UK's Major Cities
| City | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Merton | 65.13 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 3.8% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 16% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 22% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 24% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 24% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 33% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 37% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 39% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 51% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 52% more dangerous |
Crime in Merton's Neighbourhoods
Mitcham East is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Merton, followed by Mitcham South in second place, and Morden Central as the third most dangerous area. Merton's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Cannon Hill, Cottenham Park, and Merton Park.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cannon Hill | 272 | 36 | 23rd |
| Colliers Wood | 820 | 86 | Fifth |
| Cottenham Park | 250 | 31 | 25th |
| Graveney | 398 | 47 | 20th |
| Lavender Park | 500 | 62 | 14th |
| Lonesome | 657 | 75 | Seventh |
| Lower Morden | 270 | 37 | 21st |
| Merton Church Road & Phipps Bridge | 550 | 66 | 12th |
| Merton Park | 267 | 34 | 24th |
| Mitcham East | 869 | 103 | First |
| Mitcham South | 832 | 97 | Second |
| Mitcham West | 702 | 75 | Eighth |
| Morden Central | 804 | 91 | Third |
| Pollards Hill | 489 | 66 | 11th |
| Raynes Park | 658 | 79 | Sixth |
| Rowan Road | 557 | 65 | 13th |
| South Wimbledon | 546 | 60 | 18th |
| St Helier North | 527 | 60 | 17th |
| West Barnes | 461 | 55 | 19th |
| Wimbledon Broadway North | 668 | 90 | Fourth |
| Wimbledon Broadway South | 624 | 69 | Tenth |
| Wimbledon Chase | 304 | 37 | 22nd |
| Wimbledon Common | 336 | 60 | 16th |
| Wimbledon Hill | 485 | 61 | 15th |
| Wimbledon Park & Durnsford Road | 603 | 72 | Ninth |
Merton Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Merton for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Wimbledon Chase (135) | Wimbledon Common (317) |
| Bicycle Theft | Cannon Hill (1) | Wimbledon Broadway North (44) |
| Burglary | Rowan Road (18) | Wimbledon Common (59) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Merton Park (14) | Mitcham South (91) |
| Drugs | Cannon Hill (11) | Mitcham East (92) |
| Other Crime | Cottenham Park (1) | Mitcham East (19) |
| Other Theft | Cottenham Park (8) | Raynes Park (116) |
| Possession of Weapons | Wimbledon Broadway South (1) | Pollards Hill (12) |
| Public Order | Cottenham Park (14) | Morden Central (83) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Cottenham Park (2) | Mitcham East (46) |
| Shoplifting | Cannon Hill (1) | Wimbledon Broadway North (87) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | West Barnes (1) | Morden Central (49) |
| Vehicle Crime | Lower Morden (37) | Wimbledon Park & Durnsford Road (137) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Cottenham Park (67) | Mitcham East (307) |
Crime in Merton During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Merton change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in April, when Merton saw a 293% increase in anti-social behaviour. Merton saw a large fall in theft from the person during April, when it fell by 83% compared to April in 2019. Shoplifting saw a fall in every month of Merton's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +33% | +293% | +198% | +78% | +51% | +54% | +61% | +64% | +92% | +71% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | +5% | -13% | -20% | +22% | +96% | -2% | -6% | +80% | +41% |
| Burglary | -52% | -55% | -47% | -24% | -40% | -25% | -38% | -48% | -56% | -34% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +2% | -43% | -15% | -23% | +16% | +10% | +10% | -1% | +26% | +15% |
| Drugs | +100% | +47% | +159% | +79% | +47% | -6% | -5% | +35% | +20% | +48% |
| Other Crime | +17% | +11% | -65% | +33% | +24% | +27% | - | +58% | +178% | -21% |
| Other Theft | -7% | -62% | -65% | -37% | -20% | -22% | -9% | -33% | -35% | -22% |
| Possession of Weapons | -67% | +18% | +11% | -50% | -36% | - | +33% | +33% | -10% | +33% |
| Public Order | -25% | -21% | +12% | +61% | +13% | +8% | +26% | +65% | -24% | +31% |
| Robbery | +16% | -74% | -61% | -16% | +23% | -6% | +48% | -13% | -20% | -15% |
| Shoplifting | -31% | -47% | -28% | -28% | -20% | -32% | - | -23% | -28% | -15% |
| Theft From the Person | -40% | -83% | -77% | -72% | -59% | -62% | -14% | -59% | -71% | -77% |
| Vehicle Crime | +26% | -40% | +6% | +15% | +33% | +23% | +13% | +1% | +6% | -46% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -15% | +11% | +5% | -1% | +1% | +19% | +20% | +27% | -6% | -6% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Merton
What police force serves Merton?
Merton's local territorial police force is the Metropolitan Police Service.How dangerous is Merton?
Merton is among the top 10 safest cities in London.What is Merton's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Merton are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Merton?
Merton's least common crimes are possession of weapons.Last updated: 07 May 2021