Richmond upon Thames Crime Overview
Richmond upon Thames is the third safest city in London. The overall crime rate in Richmond upon Thames in 2020 was 58 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to London's overall crime rate, coming in 40% lower than London's rate of 81 per 1,000 residents. For England and Wales as a whole, Richmond upon Thames ranks as the the 27th safest city, and the the 1,903rd most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
The most common crimes in Richmond upon Thames are violence and sexual offences, with 3,017 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 15. This is 6% lower than 2019's figure of 3,191 offences and a difference of 0.87 from 2019's crime rate of 16. Richmond upon Thames's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 49 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 4.1% from 2019's figure of 51 crimes.
Richmond upon Thames Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Richmond upon Thames This Year
| Richmond upon Thames | London | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 6,523 | 32.94 | 386,651 | 43.14 | 31% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 772 | 3.90 | 23,018 | 2.57 | 34% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 1,180 | 5.96 | 56,330 | 6.29 | 6% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 874 | 4.41 | 47,563 | 5.31 | 20% safer |
| Drugs | 534 | 2.70 | 49,029 | 5.47 | 103% safer |
| Other Crime | 149 | 0.75 | 9,534 | 1.06 | 41% safer |
| Other Theft | 1,026 | 5.18 | 77,783 | 8.68 | 68% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 49 | 0.25 | 5,602 | 0.63 | 152% safer |
| Public Order | 844 | 4.26 | 52,270 | 5.83 | 37% safer |
| Robbery | 227 | 1.15 | 25,480 | 2.84 | 147% safer |
| Shoplifting | 474 | 2.39 | 32,905 | 3.67 | 54% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 129 | 0.65 | 31,829 | 3.55 | 446% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 2,133 | 10.77 | 99,978 | 11.16 | 3.6% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 3,017 | 15.24 | 211,943 | 23.65 | 55% safer |
Richmond upon Thames Compared to Nearby Cities
| Cities | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harrow | 13,895 | 55.32 | 4.1% safer |
| Kingston upon Thames | 9,963 | 56.13 | 2.6% safer |
| Richmond upon Thames | 11,408 | 57.61 | - |
| Sutton | 11,945 | 57.89 | 0.48% more dangerous |
| Bexley | 14,431 | 58.12 | 0.88% more dangerous |
| Havering | 15,405 | 59.35 | 2.9% more dangerous |
| Bromley | 19,959 | 60.06 | 4.1% more dangerous |
| Merton | 12,487 | 60.46 | 4.7% more dangerous |
Richmond upon Thames Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 17 | 16 | 18 | 33 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 4.7 | 4.9 | 4.0 | 3.9 | Safer |
| Burglary | 10 | 9 | 8 | 6 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4.4 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.6 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 2.7 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.71 | 0.59 | 0.56 | 0.75 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 7 | 7 | 7 | 5 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.28 | 0.34 | 0.26 | 0.25 | Safer |
| Public Order | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 4.3 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 1.2 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 1.2 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 3.4 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 2.4 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 0.65 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | Safer |
Comparing Richmond upon Thames to the UK's Major Cities
| Cities | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Richmond upon Thames | 57.61 | - |
| Coventry | 71.50 | 19% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 73.99 | 22% more dangerous |
| Kirklees | 74.23 | 22% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 77.18 | 25% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 79.19 | 27% more dangerous |
| London | 80.70 | 29% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 89.02 | 35% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 91.57 | 37% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 91.90 | 37% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 102.51 | 44% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 105.94 | 46% more dangerous |
Crime in Richmond upon Thames During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Richmond upon Thames change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in April, when Richmond upon Thames saw a 303% increase in anti-social behaviour. Richmond upon Thames saw a large fall in theft from the person during April, when it fell by 94% compared to April in 2019. Rates of other theft and robbery both fell year-on-year for every month during Richmond upon Thames's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Oct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +42% | +303% | +290% | +156% | +73% | +67% | +57% | +53% | +71% |
| Bicycle Theft | -58% | -61% | -31% | +20% | +35% | +102% | +78% | +53% | -22% |
| Burglary | -15% | -22% | -31% | -6% | +60% | +18% | -4% | -30% | -34% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -32% | -34% | -13% | -29% | +36% | +35% | +22% | -23% | -13% |
| Drugs | +37% | +62% | +162% | +103% | +104% | -24% | +76% | +63% | +106% |
| Other Crime | -8% | +150% | +100% | +55% | -44% | +133% | +29% | -10% | +300% |
| Other Theft | -4% | -59% | -45% | -41% | -13% | -20% | -7% | -37% | -48% |
| Possession of Weapons | -33% | +200% | +40% | - | +25% | +133% | -33% | +25% | +50% |
| Public Order | -13% | -13% | +25% | +23% | -9% | -1% | +4% | +13% | +17% |
| Robbery | -49% | -90% | -26% | -25% | -67% | -18% | -49% | -43% | -20% |
| Shoplifting | -48% | -29% | +4% | -4% | +51% | -23% | -24% | -5% | -25% |
| Theft From the Person | -25% | -94% | -77% | -89% | -65% | -21% | +35% | -43% | -48% |
| Vehicle Crime | -17% | -48% | -7% | +17% | +32% | +76% | +59% | +16% | -26% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -10% | -10% | +3% | -6% | +12% | +39% | +4% | -4% | - |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Richmond upon Thames
What police force serves Richmond upon Thames?
Richmond upon Thames's local territorial police force is the Metropolitan Police Service.How dangerous is Richmond upon Thames?
Richmond upon Thames is the third safest city in London.What is Richmond upon Thames's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Richmond upon Thames are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Richmond upon Thames?
Richmond upon Thames's least common crimes are possession of weapons.Last updated: 01 Mar 2021