Sutton Crime Overview
Sutton is among the top 5 safest cities in London. The overall crime rate in Sutton in 2020 was 58 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to London's overall crime rate, coming in 39% lower than London's rate of 81 per 1,000 residents. For England and Wales as a whole, Sutton ranks as the the 28th safest city, and the the 1,886th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
The most common crimes in Sutton are violence and sexual offences, with 4,037 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 20. This is 9% lower than 2019's figure of 4,400 offences and a difference of 1.76 from 2019's crime rate of 21. Sutton's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 95 offences recorded in 2020, an increase of 7% from 2019's figure of 88 crimes.
Sutton Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Sutton This Year
| Sutton | London | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 6,020 | 29.17 | 386,651 | 43.14 | 48% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 181 | 0.88 | 23,018 | 2.57 | 192% safer |
| Burglary | 942 | 4.57 | 56,330 | 6.29 | 38% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 868 | 4.21 | 47,563 | 5.31 | 26% safer |
| Drugs | 704 | 3.41 | 49,029 | 5.47 | 60% safer |
| Other Crime | 184 | 0.89 | 9,534 | 1.06 | 19% safer |
| Other Theft | 897 | 4.35 | 77,783 | 8.68 | 100% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 95 | 0.46 | 5,602 | 0.63 | 37% safer |
| Public Order | 889 | 4.31 | 52,270 | 5.83 | 35% safer |
| Robbery | 232 | 1.12 | 25,480 | 2.84 | 154% safer |
| Shoplifting | 675 | 3.27 | 32,905 | 3.67 | 12% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 164 | 0.79 | 31,829 | 3.55 | 349% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 2,077 | 10.07 | 99,978 | 11.16 | 11% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 4,037 | 19.56 | 211,943 | 23.65 | 21% safer |
Sutton Compared to Nearby Cities
| Cities | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harrow | 13,895 | 55.32 | 4.6% safer |
| Kingston upon Thames | 9,963 | 56.13 | 3.1% safer |
| Richmond upon Thames | 11,408 | 57.61 | 0.49% safer |
| Sutton | 11,945 | 57.89 | - |
| Bexley | 14,431 | 58.12 | 0.40% more dangerous |
| Havering | 15,405 | 59.35 | 2.5% more dangerous |
| Bromley | 19,959 | 60.06 | 3.6% more dangerous |
| Merton | 12,487 | 60.46 | 4.3% more dangerous |
| Queen's Park | 917 | 62.12 | 7% more dangerous |
Sutton Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 15 | 15 | 19 | 29 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.64 | 0.74 | 0.90 | 0.88 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 5 | 6 | 7 | 4.6 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4.2 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.7 | 1.5 | 2.5 | 3.4 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.76 | 0.77 | 0.77 | 0.89 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4.4 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.36 | 0.49 | 0.43 | 0.46 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 3.8 | 4.0 | 4.6 | 4.3 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 1.3 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.1 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 4.0 | 3.9 | 4.6 | 3.3 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.83 | 0.84 | 1.1 | 0.79 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | Getting worse |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 18 | 19 | 21 | 20 | Getting worse |
Comparing Sutton to the UK's Major Cities
| Cities | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Sutton | 57.89 | - |
| 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 | 28% 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 | 45% more dangerous |
Crime in Sutton During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Sutton change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in April, when Sutton saw a 275% increase in possession of weapons. Sutton saw a large fall in theft from the person during April, when it fell by 90% compared to April in 2019. Rates of criminal damage and arson and other theft both fell year-on-year for every month during Sutton's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Oct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +12% | +233% | +173% | +62% | +13% | +16% | +46% | +38% | +86% |
| Bicycle Theft | +217% | -61% | +57% | - | +18% | -10% | - | -6% | -38% |
| Burglary | -14% | -52% | -37% | -35% | - | -36% | -24% | -54% | -37% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -9% | -39% | -41% | -7% | -14% | -5% | -3% | -15% | -7% |
| Drugs | +11% | +93% | +98% | +63% | +13% | +22% | +17% | +125% | +49% |
| Other Crime | -29% | +87% | +36% | +111% | +45% | +55% | +7% | -19% | +13% |
| Other Theft | -23% | -48% | -50% | -26% | -9% | -4% | -9% | -34% | -21% |
| Possession of Weapons | -29% | +275% | +14% | -33% | -55% | -33% | +200% | +88% | +33% |
| Public Order | - | -24% | -17% | -9% | -2% | +14% | +11% | -5% | +21% |
| Robbery | +19% | -69% | -40% | -33% | -5% | -25% | -24% | -28% | -4% |
| Shoplifting | -15% | -40% | -56% | -37% | -45% | -40% | -31% | +3% | -43% |
| Theft From the Person | +12% | -90% | -75% | +20% | +19% | -4% | -29% | +12% | - |
| Vehicle Crime | +51% | -30% | -14% | +38% | +12% | -20% | +13% | +13% | +23% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +1% | -21% | -1% | +2% | +1% | -7% | -2% | +2% | +15% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Sutton
What police force serves Sutton?
Sutton's local territorial police force is the Metropolitan Police Service.How dangerous is Sutton?
Sutton is among the top 5 safest cities in London.What is Sutton's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Sutton are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Sutton?
Sutton's least common crimes are possession of weapons.Last updated: 01 Mar 2021