Crime and Safety in Merton, London
Last updated: 07 Jun 2026
Merton is the second safest borough in London. The overall crime rate in Merton in 2026 is 53 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to London's overall crime rate, coming in 36% lower than the London rate of 82 per 1,000 daytime population. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Merton is the second safest city, and the 2,337th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In September 2022, Merton was the worst borough in London for possession of weapons, with 13 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.06 per 1,000 daytime population.
The most common crimes in Merton are violence and sexual offences, with 4,867 offences during 2026, giving a crime rate of 20. This is 1.2% higher than 2025's figure of 4,807 offences and a difference of 0.24 from 2025's crime rate of 19. Merton's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 112 offences recorded in 2026, an increase of 18% from 2025's figure of 95 crimes.
Merton 2026 Crime Scorecard
Second Safest
Boroughs, London
34% lower, regional crime rate
London
26% lower, national crime rate
England, Wales & NI
Local Crime in Context
As of April 2026, the crime rate in Merton is 34% lower than London and 26% lower than the England, Wales & Northern Ireland overall figure.
Merton Crime Rate Over Time
| Merton | |
| London | |
| England, Wales & NI |
Merton Crime Map
Incidents mapped in Merton represent the time frame between January 2016 and April 2026. Each point on the map represents an area where crimes have been recorded locally.
Use Crime Map
Hover over a point to see a breakdown of crime types recorded at that location. You can also filter by individual crime types, or use a combinations of offences to visualise the data you need.
See How Merton Compares
You can compare Merton's crime statistics against any other town, village, or city from across the country. Search for a location's name below to see how they stack up.
Introduction to Merton's crime statistics
This crime profile provides a detailed view of crime and safety around Merton up to April 2026, the most recent data release available. The crime figures and statistics have been calculated across each of Merton's 3,680 postcodes using three area sizes for comparison:
- Within a Five-Minute Walk
- Within a Ten-Minute Walk
- Within a Fifteen-Minute Walk
Individual crime risk scores and index figures are for the 12-month period ending April 2026 unless otherwise stated.
CrimeRate Insights
Looking into a specific address in Merton? CrimeRate Insights reports convert raw numbers into practical insight for any location, from single addresses and postcodes, up to major towns and cities.
Crime rates don’t happen by themselves; they follow people and patterns. Where crowds gather - near pubs and late-night venues, around the station, by supermarkets and forecourts - incidents naturally concentrate.
That doesn’t mean an area is "bad"; it usually means footfall is higher.
Your report explores these factors in a calm, non-judgemental way, putting the numbers in context and helping you spot what’s typical for places like this.
Crime Risk Scores
Merton • 12 Months Ending April 2026
The typical five-minute walk within Merton has a crime risk score of 450. This is based on analysis of 3,680 nearby areas within Merton, with "most" referring to roughly two thirds of the nearby locations.
Crime risk scores are on a scale of 1 to 1,000 and consider the severity of the crimes involved, as determined by sentencing guidelines. A score of 1 represents the lowest risk, and 1,000 the highest risk. This approach ensures that - unlike overall crime rate figures - bicycle theft is not given the same importance in Merton's risk scores as, for example, robbery, or violence & sexual offences.
Within a five-minute walk of the typical location in Merton, crime risk scores are typically around 450, while in London they are average 534.
Areas within a ten-minute walk typically see crime risk scores of 544 (613 for London), and scores within a fifteen-minute walk are most often around 603 (London 663).
Trends in Crime Risk
Merton
Calculated via Seasonal and Trend decomposition using Loess, the Seasonality Adjusted line represents the original data with seasonality subtracted, and the Trend line has been plotted unadjusted. Overall trend direction has been identified using the Mann-Kendall trend test, and rate calculated from the slope of the best-fit line identified from linear regression.
The 10-year trend indicates a decrease of 14% in Merton's crime risk score. This is potentially a strong signal of how the crime risk is evolving. Cross-referencing with major cultural events and Covid's impact during this time is advised.
Looking at the previous five years, the trend in Merton's crime risk score is up by 9%. While potentially a good indicator of the overall risk trend, analysis may offer further insight when combined with the checks mentioned above.
Over the last year, Merton's crime risk score has shown an upward trend of approximately 11%, indicating that the risk profile is going up. This is an extremely short time period for crime trend analysis, and caution should be exercised when interpreting this figure.
Crime Rates and Indexes
Merton
The CrimeRate Index shows how crime rates compare against the national average.
1.0 equals the average
2.0 is double
3.0 triple
0.5 is half and
0.25 a quarter.
Highest Crime Rates
Merton • 12 Months Ending April 2026
Excluding other crime and other theft because their geographic location is often not relevant, anti-social behaviour as its definition is too wide, and bicycle theft for its specificity.
Vehicle Crime offences have a crime rate of 5.08 reports per 1,000 people in Merton, which is 1.18 times the national average. This figure is calculated from 1,266 crime reports logged by Metropolitan Police during the 12-month period ending April 2026.
For the same period, Metropolitan Police recorded 342 reports of Robbery in Merton, resulting in a crime rate of 1.37 reports per 1,000, and a CrimeRate Index of 1.16.
The crime rate for Burglary is 0.92 times the national average at 2.89 reports per 1,000. This is from 718 crime reports reported to Metropolitan Police.
Most Significant 3-Year Increases in Crime Types
Merton
Excluding other crime and other theft, anti-social behaviour, and bicycle theft, and calculated with the same STL method described in Trends in Crime Risk, using CrimeRate Index figures to identify crime types that are trending above or below the national average, and the analysis timeframe limited to the last three years.
Possession of Weapons offences are trending upwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 0.57 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Possession of Weapons CrimeRate Index was 0.29 times the national average, and the current trend indicates an increase of 97% over this timeframe.
Theft From the Person offences are trending upwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 0.92 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Theft From the Person CrimeRate Index was 1.00 times the national average, and the current trend indicates an increase of 8% over this timeframe.
Public Order offences are trending upwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 0.65 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Public Order CrimeRate Index was 0.56 times the national average, and the current trend indicates an increase of 16% over this timeframe.
Most Significant 3-Year Decreases in Crime Types
Merton
Calculated with the same methodology as the largest increases section above.
Robbery offences are trending downwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 1.10 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Robbery CrimeRate Index was 2.22 times the national average, and the current trend indicates a decrease of 50% over this timeframe.
Vehicle Crime offences are trending downwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 1.06 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Vehicle Crime CrimeRate Index was 1.34 times the national average, and the current trend indicates a decrease of 21% over this timeframe.
Criminal Damage and Arson offences are trending downwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 0.59 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Criminal Damage and Arson CrimeRate Index was 0.62 times the national average, and the current trend indicates a decrease of 4.8% over this timeframe.
Crime Type Breakdown & Heat Map
Merton • 12 Months Ending April 2026
Size and colour reflect the CrimeRate Index figures for each type of crime.
Merton | London | Metropolitan Police | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Type | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 3,609 | 14.55 | 1.03 | 235,985 | 21.68 | 1.53 | 236,187 | 21.58 | 1.53 |
| Bicycle Theft | 232 | 0.91 | 1.25 | 13,695 | 1.26 | 1.73 | 13,744 | 1.26 | 1.73 |
| Burglary | 718 | 2.89 | 0.92 | 47,359 | 4.34 | 1.39 | 47,451 | 4.33 | 1.38 |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 989 | 3.98 | 0.63 | 54,098 | 4.99 | 0.79 | 54,220 | 4.97 | 0.79 |
| Drugs | 685 | 2.78 | 0.90 | 53,167 | 4.87 | 1.58 | 53,280 | 4.85 | 1.57 |
| Other Crime | 212 | 0.85 | 0.46 | 13,008 | 1.19 | 0.64 | 13,028 | 1.19 | 0.64 |
| Other Theft | 1,160 | 4.65 | 0.82 | 97,452 | 8.97 | 1.58 | 97,779 | 8.95 | 1.57 |
| Possession of Weapons | 112 | 0.44 | 0.52 | 6,443 | 0.60 | 0.71 | 6,461 | 0.60 | 0.71 |
| Public Order | 962 | 3.87 | 0.67 | 60,049 | 5.52 | 0.95 | 60,156 | 5.49 | 0.95 |
| Robbery | 342 | 1.37 | 1.16 | 30,804 | 2.83 | 2.40 | 30,857 | 2.83 | 2.40 |
| Shoplifting | 1,303 | 5.27 | 0.74 | 87,976 | 8.09 | 1.13 | 88,269 | 8.08 | 1.13 |
| Theft From the Person | 327 | 1.31 | 0.85 | 77,160 | 7.11 | 4.59 | 77,344 | 7.08 | 4.57 |
| Vehicle Crime | 1,266 | 5.08 | 1.18 | 81,755 | 7.50 | 1.74 | 81,900 | 7.50 | 1.74 |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 4,867 | 19.61 | 0.65 | 273,434 | 25.12 | 0.83 | 273,897 | 25.04 | 0.82 |
Download | |||||||||
Total Crime by Year
Merton | London | Metropolitan Police | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index |
| 2026 | 13,175 | 53.01 | 0.74 | 896,400 | 82.39 | 1.14 | 898,386 | 82.17 | 1.14 |
| 2025 | 13,677 | 57.44 | 0.78 | 896,961 | 83.23 | 1.12 | 898,787 | 82.94 | 1.12 |
| 2024 | 13,781 | 59.52 | 0.79 | 900,986 | 84.38 | 1.12 | 902,681 | 84.12 | 1.12 |
| 2023 | 13,398 | 58.86 | 0.74 | 835,471 | 78.98 | 1.00 | 837,244 | 78.79 | 1.00 |
| 2022 | 13,078 | 57.69 | 0.75 | 795,646 | 75.77 | 0.99 | 797,303 | 75.56 | 0.98 |
| 2021 | 12,720 | 55.84 | 0.81 | 727,983 | 69.09 | 1.01 | 729,401 | 68.83 | 1.00 |
| 2020 | 13,464 | 58.81 | 0.79 | 819,467 | 77.66 | 1.05 | 821,362 | 77.41 | 1.04 |
| 2019 | 13,967 | 60.97 | 0.80 | 849,310 | 80.70 | 1.06 | 851,175 | 80.59 | 1.06 |
| 2018 | 13,625 | 59.55 | 0.84 | 810,063 | 77.08 | 1.08 | 811,738 | 76.91 | 1.08 |
| 2017 | 12,803 | 55.90 | 0.87 | 758,160 | 72.41 | 1.13 | 759,755 | 72.22 | 1.13 |
| 2016 | 4,211 | 18.39 | 0.96 | 234,565 | 22.42 | 1.18 | 235,003 | 22.39 | 1.17 |
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Crime in Merton's Neighbourhoods
12 Months Ending Apr 2026
| Neighbourhood | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collier's Wood | 1,750 | 63.90 | 21% more dangerous |
| Kingston Vale | 130 | 124.14 | 134% more dangerous |
| Lonesome | 1,615 | 63.72 | 20% more dangerous |
| Mitcham Junction | 279 | 64.59 | 22% more dangerous |
| Morden | 1,820 | 68.55 | 29% more dangerous |
| South Wimbledon | 620 | 60.91 | 15% more dangerous |
| West Barnes | 668 | 46.89 | 12% safer |
Merton Compared to Other London Boroughs
12 Months Ending Apr 2026
| Borough | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bromley | 23,687 | 67.01 | 26% more dangerous |
| Kingston upon Thames | 11,906 | 61.30 | 16% more dangerous |
| Bexley | 16,034 | 60.14 | 13% more dangerous |
| Sutton | 13,320 | 58.71 | 11% more dangerous |
| Harrow | 16,846 | 58.82 | 11% more dangerous |
| Richmond upon Thames | 11,638 | 53.96 | 1.8% more dangerous |
| Merton | 13,175 | 53.01 | - |
| City of London | 9,528 | 21.00 | 60% safer |
Comparing Merton to the UK's Major Cities
12 Months Ending Apr 2026
| City Name | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Merton | 53.01 | - |
| Cardiff | 79.55 | 50% more dangerous |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 82.69 | 56% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 84.09 | 59% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.87 | 85% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 104.64 | 97% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 105.05 | 98% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 106.48 | 101% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 107.10 | 102% more dangerous |
| Nottingham | 107.74 | 103% more dangerous |
| Westminster | 125.00 | 136% more dangerous |
CrimeRate Pro
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You can find out more, or get a CrimeRate Insights report that includes further analysis.
Offences In and Around Merton's Parks & Leisure Spaces
Limited to spaces in Merton that are named and have had crimes recorded within their boundaries in the 12 months to Apr 2026.
| Name | ASB | Drugs | Public Order | Robbery | VSO | All Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pollards Hill | 38 | 1 | - | - | 11 | 15 |
| Worcester Park | 28 | 4 | 15 | - | 30 | 26 |
| Common Extension Sports Ground | - | - | 1 | - | 7 | 5 |
| Galustian Gardens Open Space | 32 | - | 8 | 8 | 22 | 62 |
| Moreton Green | 12 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 35 | 16 |
| Mill Green | 8 | 4 | 3 | - | 21 | 17 |
| Cranmer Green | 11 | 4 | 3 | - | 9 | 14 |
| Upper Green | 8 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 18 | 17 |
| Lower Green | 3 | 2 | 3 | - | 5 | 9 |
| Bindon Green | - | - | 1 | 1 | 9 | 10 |
| Mitcham Common | 110 | 22 | 23 | 11 | 94 | 128 |
| Morley Park | - | - | - | - | 1 | 3 |
| Herbert Road Green | 2 | - | 2 | - | 1 | 5 |
| Figge's Marsh | 17 | 8 | 13 | 9 | 42 | 53 |
| Putney Heath | 115 | 23 | 22 | 6 | 80 | 90 |
| Cricket Green | 9 | 1 | 4 | - | 4 | 15 |
| Wimbledon Gap Road Cemetery | 36 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 19 | 43 |
| South Park Gardens | 9 | 1 | - | - | 4 | 7 |
| Lambeth Cemetery | 43 | 5 | 7 | - | 22 | 43 |
| Wandle Park | 52 | 11 | 18 | 9 | 85 | 160 |
| Tamworth Farm Recreation Ground | 4 | 4 | 2 | - | 4 | 8 |
| Streatham Vale Park | 24 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 45 | 33 |
| Long Bolstead Recreation Ground | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 9 |
| Streatham Park Cemetery | 11 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 50 | 40 |
| Brooklands Avenue Allotments | 1 | - | - | - | 3 | 1 |
| Haslemere Avenue Allotments | 21 | - | - | - | 7 | 23 |
| Garratt Park | 31 | 3 | 1 | - | 17 | 25 |
| Durnsford Road Allotments L | 14 | 4 | 4 | - | 7 | 30 |
| Havelock Road Allotments | 22 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 22 | 29 |
| Wandle Meadow Nature Park | 15 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 34 | 21 |
| Nursery Road Playing Field | 1 | - | 3 | - | 12 | 10 |
| Abbey Recreation Ground | - | - | 2 | - | 3 | 2 |
| Trafalgar Garden | 8 | 2 | 1 | - | 7 | 10 |
| All Saints Recreation Ground | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 26 | 64 |
| Nelson Gardens | 3 | 3 | 1 | - | 5 | 3 |
| Kendor Gardens | 3 | 3 | - | 2 | 11 | 17 |
| Phipp's Bridge Allotments | 24 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 12 |
| Tamworth Farm Allotments | 8 | 5 | 2 | - | 12 | 14 |
| Lavender Park | 4 | - | - | - | 14 | 13 |
| Eveline Road Allotments | 1 | 1 | - | - | 4 | 9 |
| Western Road Allotments | 12 | 4 | 8 | - | 26 | 27 |
| Rock Terrace Recreation Ground | 43 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 46 | 25 |
| Oakleigh Way Recreation Ground | 18 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 24 | 21 |
| Ridge Road Allotments | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 1 |
| Eastfields Allotments | 14 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 72 | 28 |
| Westminster City School Sports Ground | 4 | 1 | 1 | - | 22 | 11 |
| Mostyn Gardens | 2 | - | 2 | - | 6 | 10 |
| Morden Hall Park | 27 | 5 | 15 | 4 | 45 | 39 |
| London Road Playing Fields | - | 1 | 5 | - | 7 | 9 |
| Ravensbury Park | 56 | 8 | 10 | 2 | 65 | 58 |
| Cricket Green | 9 | 1 | 4 | - | 4 | 15 |
| The Canons Leisure Centre | 15 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 15 | 22 |
| Poulter Park | 4 | 1 | - | 1 | 4 | 6 |
| The Thomas Wall Park | 30 | 13 | 7 | 1 | 26 | 12 |
| Sherwood Park | 14 | 2 | - | - | 5 | 8 |
| New Barns Avenue Allotments | 21 | 2 | - | - | 6 | 11 |
| Pollards Hill Recreation Ground | 27 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 24 | 24 |
| Thornton Heath and Norbury Horticultural Society | 7 | - | - | - | 3 | 4 |
| Wimbledon Park Watersports Centre | 61 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 36 | 55 |
| Cannizaro Park | 4 | 1 | - | - | 7 | 6 |
| Drax Playing Field | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | 5 | 3 |
| Wimbledon College Playing Fields | 7 | 1 | 2 | - | 7 | 8 |
| Holland Gardens | - | 1 | - | - | 3 | 8 |
| Cottenham Park | 5 | - | 1 | - | 12 | 9 |
| West Wimbledon Bowling Club | - | - | - | - | 5 | 4 |
| Alliance Sports Ground | 5 | 3 | - | 1 | 9 | 7 |
| Wimbledon High School Playing Field | 6 | - | - | - | 4 | 12 |
| Prince George's Playing Field | 16 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 14 | 34 |
| Martin Way East Allotments | 1 | 1 | - | - | 4 | 0 |
| John Innes Recreation Ground | 2 | 1 | - | - | 8 | 8 |
| Archbishop Tenison's Grammar School Sports Ground | 1 | - | 2 | - | - | 2 |
| King's College School Sports Ground | 5 | - | 2 | - | 3 | 0 |
| Messines Playing Field | 2 | - | 1 | - | 4 | 17 |
| Joseph Hood Recreation Ground | 15 | - | 2 | - | 8 | 5 |
| Thurleston Avenue Allotments | 6 | 2 | - | - | 6 | 7 |
| King George's Playing Field | 6 | - | 4 | 1 | 15 | 34 |
| Civil Service Sports Ground | 13 | - | 2 | - | 4 | 3 |
| Raynes Park Sports Ground | 5 | - | - | - | 7 | 4 |
| John Innes Park | 5 | - | 1 | - | 2 | 2 |
| Beverley Park | 5 | - | - | - | 1 | 6 |
| Morden Cemetery | 12 | 1 | - | 1 | 7 | 12 |
| Cannon Hill Common | 5 | 1 | 2 | - | 7 | 9 |
| Morden Park | 7 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 7 |
| Merton and Sutton Joint Cemetery | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 12 | 13 |
| Lynmouth Avenue Gardens | 2 | - | - | - | 4 | 11 |
| Gap Road Gardens | 14 | 4 | 4 | - | 7 | 30 |
| The Sir Joseph Hood Memorial Playing Field | 9 | - | - | - | 6 | 5 |
| Wimbledon Common | 44 | 15 | 9 | 1 | 53 | 67 |
| Wimbledon Guild Community Garden | - | 2 | - | - | 1 | 1 |
| Cottenham Park Allotments | 4 | 1 | - | - | 8 | 10 |
Recent Crimes in Merton
The 20 most recent crime reports in Merton.
| Date | Crime Type | Location | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Alwyne Road | |
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Sadler Close | |
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Burghley Place | |
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Melbury Gardens | |
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Carew Road | |
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Avenue Road | |
| April 2026 | Other crime | On or near Avenue Road | |
| April 2026 | Other theft | On or near Dore Gardens | |
| April 2026 | Other theft | On or near Cerne Road | |
| April 2026 | Other theft | On or near Cerne Road | |
| April 2026 | Public order | On or near St Mark'S Place | |
| April 2026 | Robbery | On or near St Mark'S Place | |
| April 2026 | Shoplifting | On or near St Mark'S Place | |
| April 2026 | Shoplifting | On or near St Mark'S Place | |
| April 2026 | Shoplifting | On or near St Mark'S Place | |
| April 2026 | Theft from the person | On or near St Mark'S Place | |
| April 2026 | Vehicle crime | On or near Cerne Road | |
| April 2026 | Vehicle crime | On or near Newminster Road | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Alwyne Road | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Sunnymead Avenue |
Methodology & Data Sources
Merton Crime Report
Data Sources & Processing
Every month, CrimeRate processes crime reports from data.police.uk, the UK's official provider of open crime report data. Each crime report includes anonymised coordinates, most often "snapped" to the middle of the nearest street, or to the nearest major landmark. The reports also include the month and year the crime was reported, as well as the type of crime.
Data releases on data.police.uk happen once a month, with a two-month delay. This means that, for example, crimes reported in Merton during August 2026 will typically become available in October 2026. The latest release is for Apr 2026 and was released in Jun 2026. To provide current and historical crime statistics, CrimeRate processed 61,669,232 crime reports for the latest release.
Merton Data Points
For Merton, CrimeRate uses the geographic boundaries provided by The Office for National Statistics in the December 2023 release of their Parishes and Non Civil Parished Areas dataset, using the PARNCP23CD column value E43000214.
Due to the 2021 Census being conducted during a UK-wide Coronavirus lockdown, the daytime population figures released so far cannot be relied on for purposes such as comparing crime rates. Instead, CrimeRate uses Merton's daytime - or "workday" - population of 170,105 from the ONS 2011 Census for calculations throughout the site.
All geographic boundaries use the full resolution - extent of the realm versions where provided to avoid missing crime reports near coastlines and rivers - the banks of the Thames in particular - that would otherwise not be included when using the clipped to the coastline datasets.
Calculating Crime Rates
CrimeRate locates the UK region, county, and town/city/village locality for each crime report, and calculates the crime rate by taking the sum of all crime reports, dividing it by the locality's daytime / "workday" population, and multiplying the result by 1,000 to get the crime rate per 1,000.
Crime Risk Score Calculations
CrimeRate calculates crime counts for local, nearby, and wider areas for every postcode in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The postcodes locations are deduplicated by a process that ensures distinct points are approximately 50 metres apart. This process removes the bias that would otherwise come from counting the same crimes several times in heavily populated areas.
Using a custom algorithm developed in-house, CrimeRate applies a crime severity weighting to each area's crime counts, based on the type of crime reported. This increases or decreases the crime count, or zeroes it out entirely, depending on the crime type. A separate crime severity rate is then calculated, standardised, and scaled to fit the crime risk score range of 1 to 1,000, with 1 being the lowest score, and 1,000 the highest.
Crime risk scores undergo further analysis per town, city, and village plus other areas including police forces and neighbourhoods. CrimeRate uses percentiles to work out the most common range of crime risk scores in each locality. This includes identifying the high and low bounds where approximately 68% of scores fall, and finding the median (50th percentile) for easy reference.
The crime types with a weight of zero are: Anti-Social Behaviour; Bicycle Theft; Other Crime; Other Theft; and Shoplifting. The highest weights to are assigned to Violence & Sexual Offences, and the lowest to Vehicle Crime.
Frequently Asked Questions
Crime in Merton