Newham Crime Overview
Newham 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 Newham in 2020 was 94 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to London's overall crime rate, coming in 7% higher than the London rate of 87 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Newham is the 21st most dangerous city, and the 630th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In July 2020, Newham had the worst crime rate in London for drugs, with 340 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.96 per 1,000 inhabitants. June 2020 was also a bad month for Newham residents, when it was London's most dangerous area for robbery, recording 107 crimes at a rate of 0.30 per 1,000 residents. Newham recorded 137 reports of shoplifting during June 2020, making its crime rate of 0.39 the worst for shoplifting in London that month.
The most common crimes in Newham are violence and sexual offences, with 9,673 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 27. This is 0.60% lower than 2019's figure of 9,731 offences and a difference of 0.17 from 2019's crime rate of 28. Newham's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 305 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 10% from 2019's figure of 335 crimes.
Compare Newham to other towns and cities
See how Newham shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Newham and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Newham Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Newham This Year
| Newham | London | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 16,982 | 48.09 | 416,486 | 46.52 | 3.3% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 606 | 1.72 | 24,355 | 2.72 | 58% safer |
| Burglary | 1,873 | 5.30 | 61,090 | 6.82 | 29% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 1,976 | 5.60 | 51,728 | 5.78 | 3.2% safer |
| Drugs | 2,920 | 8.27 | 52,789 | 5.90 | 29% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 463 | 1.31 | 10,337 | 1.15 | 12% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 3,501 | 9.91 | 84,210 | 9.41 | 5% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 305 | 0.86 | 6,014 | 0.67 | 22% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 2,115 | 5.99 | 56,368 | 6.30 | 5% safer |
| Robbery | 1,639 | 4.64 | 27,544 | 3.08 | 34% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 1,719 | 4.87 | 35,659 | 3.98 | 18% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 2,394 | 6.78 | 35,117 | 3.92 | 42% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 3,845 | 10.89 | 107,687 | 12.03 | 10% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 9,673 | 27.39 | 229,978 | 25.69 | 6% more dangerous |
Crime in Newham Compared To London
Newham Compared to Nearby Cities
| City | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenwich | 24,721 | 85.85 | 9% safer |
| Hounslow | 23,385 | 86.13 | 9% safer |
| Barking and Dagenham | 18,441 | 86.62 | 8% safer |
| Lewisham | 26,978 | 88.21 | 6% safer |
| Lambeth | 30,395 | 93.23 | 0.32% safer |
| Newham | 33,029 | 93.53 | - |
| Tower Hamlets | 30,740 | 94.66 | 1.2% more dangerous |
| Southwark | 31,822 | 99.81 | 6% more dangerous |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | 18,574 | 100.32 | 7% more dangerous |
| Haringey | 28,144 | 104.76 | 11% more dangerous |
| Islington | 25,583 | 105.51 | 11% more dangerous |
Newham Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 24 | 23 | 26 | 48 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.7 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 6 | 7 | 6 | 5 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | Safer |
| Drugs | 5 | 6 | 8 | 8 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.3 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 12 | 13 | 12 | 10 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.97 | 0.99 | 0.95 | 0.86 | Safer |
| Public Order | 4.6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4.6 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 7 | 7 | 6 | 4.9 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 4.2 | 6 | 7 | 7 | Getting worse |
| Vehicle Crime | 14 | 15 | 12 | 11 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 26 | 28 | 28 | 27 | Safer |
Changes In Newham's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Newham to the UK's Major Cities
| City | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 38% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 21% safer |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 12% safer |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 9% safer |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 8% safer |
| Newham | 93.53 | - |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 4.0% 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 Newham's Neighbourhoods
Stratford Central is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Newham, followed by East Ham Central in second place, and Beckton as the third most dangerous area. Newham's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, East Ham South West, Plashet East, and Wallend North.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beckton | 1,469 | 174 | Third |
| Beckton North | 532 | 65 | 28th |
| Beckton Park | 477 | 74 | 23rd |
| Canning Town Central | 932 | 92 | 11th |
| Canning Town East | 530 | 56 | 33rd |
| Canning Town North | 776 | 109 | Seventh |
| Canning Town South & Bow Creek | 1,318 | 94 | Tenth |
| Custom House | 860 | 100 | Ninth |
| East Ham Central | 2,185 | 199 | Second |
| East Ham North | 782 | 69 | 24th |
| East Ham South | 912 | 90 | 13th |
| East Ham South West | 428 | 46 | 36th |
| East Ham West | 528 | 66 | 26th |
| Forest Gate East | 583 | 75 | 21st |
| Forest Gate North | 635 | 79 | 17th |
| Forest Gate South | 1,165 | 120 | Fifth |
| Forest Gate West | 520 | 60 | 32nd |
| Little Ilford East | 478 | 64 | 29th |
| Little Ilford West | 472 | 62 | 31st |
| Lonsdale Avenue | 581 | 66 | 27th |
| Manor Park North | 628 | 81 | 14th |
| Manor Park South | 621 | 74 | 22nd |
| Olympic Park & Mill Meads | 4,141 | 156 | Fourth |
| Plaistow North | 575 | 75 | 20th |
| Plaistow North East | 781 | 90 | 12th |
| Plaistow Park | 420 | 55 | 34th |
| Plaistow South | 916 | 104 | Eighth |
| Plashet East | 365 | 37 | 37th |
| Plashet West | 594 | 69 | 25th |
| Royal Docks & North Woolwich | 1,265 | 77 | 18th |
| Stratford Central | 2,453 | 242 | First |
| Stratford East | 668 | 79 | 16th |
| Upton Park | 1,036 | 114 | Sixth |
| Wallend North | 435 | 53 | 35th |
| Wallend South | 727 | 80 | 15th |
| West Ham & Stratford Park | 772 | 76 | 19th |
| West Ham Park | 468 | 64 | 30th |
Newham Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Newham for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | East Ham South West (227) | Stratford Central (899) |
| Bicycle Theft | East Ham South West (1) | Stratford Central (77) |
| Burglary | Plashet East (17) | Stratford Central (91) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Upton Park (24) | Beckton (90) |
| Drugs | Plashet East (16) | Stratford Central (272) |
| Other Crime | Plashet East (3) | Royal Docks & North Woolwich (53) |
| Other Theft | Plashet East (20) | Stratford Central (301) |
| Possession of Weapons | Manor Park South (1) | Stratford Central (28) |
| Public Order | Wallend North (19) | Stratford Central (156) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Plashet East (12) | East Ham Central (177) |
| Shoplifting | Forest Gate East (1) | Stratford Central (427) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Beckton North (1) | East Ham Central (415) |
| Vehicle Crime | West Ham & Stratford Park (57) | Beckton (223) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Plashet East (149) | Stratford Central (525) |
Crime in Newham During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Newham change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in April, when Newham saw a 334% increase in anti-social behaviour. Newham saw a large fall in theft from the person during April, when it fell by 80% compared to April in 2019. Rates of other crime and shoplifting both fell year-on-year for every month during Newham's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +31% | +334% | +175% | +70% | +48% | +78% | +68% | +78% | +98% | +68% |
| Bicycle Theft | -6% | -3% | -20% | +30% | +24% | +35% | +103% | +31% | -13% | +160% |
| Burglary | -30% | -23% | -12% | -23% | -15% | -12% | +15% | -23% | -6% | +3% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -11% | -16% | -34% | -4% | +8% | +2% | +21% | -17% | -16% | -1% |
| Drugs | -15% | +19% | +54% | -18% | -4% | -19% | -37% | -28% | +36% | +14% |
| Other Crime | -11% | -29% | -15% | -18% | -20% | -12% | -24% | -34% | +50% | -37% |
| Other Theft | -31% | -50% | -48% | -29% | -10% | +13% | +12% | -10% | -35% | +9% |
| Possession of Weapons | -32% | +15% | -39% | -21% | -14% | +30% | +58% | - | +87% | +32% |
| Public Order | -16% | -12% | +9% | - | -7% | +22% | +8% | -22% | -13% | +11% |
| Robbery | +41% | -56% | -57% | -26% | -9% | -23% | +34% | - | -43% | -41% |
| Shoplifting | +1% | -61% | -47% | -16% | -18% | -31% | -16% | -29% | -20% | -8% |
| Theft From the Person | -15% | -80% | -68% | -55% | +68% | +51% | +43% | +24% | -3% | +20% |
| Vehicle Crime | -31% | -34% | -25% | -14% | -10% | +6% | +22% | +24% | +28% | +7% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -9% | -6% | -18% | -4% | -5% | +17% | +11% | 0% | -3% | +18% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Newham
What police force serves Newham?
Newham's local territorial police force is the Metropolitan Police Service.How dangerous is Newham?
Newham is among the top 10 most dangerous cities in London.What is Newham's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Newham are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Newham?
Newham's least common crimes are possession of weapons.Last updated: 01 Apr 2021