Crime and Safety in Tower Hamlets
Last updated: 07 Jun 2026
Tower Hamlets is among the top 20 safest boroughs in London. The overall crime rate in Tower Hamlets in 2026 is 69 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to London's overall crime rate, coming in 16% lower than the London rate of 82 per 1,000 daytime population. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Tower Hamlets is among the top 20 safest cities, and the 1,324th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In June 2025, Tower Hamlets had the worst crime rate in London for drugs, with 346 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.64 per 1,000 daytime population. January 2021 was also a bad month for Tower Hamlets residents, when it was again London's most dangerous area for drugs, recording 292 crimes at a rate of 0.56 per 1,000 daytime population.
The most common crimes in Tower Hamlets are violence and sexual offences, with 11,709 offences during 2026, giving a crime rate of 22. This is 0.39% higher than 2025's figure of 11,663 offences and a difference of 0.09 from 2025's crime rate of 22. Tower Hamlets's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 276 offences recorded in 2026, an increase of 18% from 2025's figure of 233 crimes.
Tower Hamlets 2026 Crime Scorecard
Top 20 Safest
Boroughs, London
14% lower, regional crime rate
London
4.1% lower, national crime rate
England, Wales & NI
Local Crime in Context
As of April 2026, the crime rate in Tower Hamlets is 14% lower than London and 4.1% lower than the England, Wales & Northern Ireland overall figure.
Tower Hamlets Crime Rate Over Time
| Tower Hamlets | |
| London | |
| England, Wales & NI |
Tower Hamlets Crime Map
Incidents mapped in Tower Hamlets 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 Tower Hamlets Compares
You can compare Tower Hamlets'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 Tower Hamlets's crime statistics
This crime profile provides a detailed view of crime and safety around Tower Hamlets up to April 2026, the most recent data release available. The crime figures and statistics have been calculated across each of Tower Hamlets's 5,903 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 Tower Hamlets? 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
Tower Hamlets • 12 Months Ending April 2026
The typical five-minute walk within Tower Hamlets has a crime risk score of 651. This is based on analysis of 5,903 nearby areas within Tower Hamlets, 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 Tower Hamlets's risk scores as, for example, robbery, or violence & sexual offences.
Within a five-minute walk of the typical location in Tower Hamlets, crime risk scores are typically around 651, while in London they are average 534.
Areas within a ten-minute walk typically see crime risk scores of 731 (613 for London), and scores within a fifteen-minute walk are most often around 783 (London 663).
Trends in Crime Risk
Tower Hamlets
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 15% in Tower Hamlets'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 Tower Hamlets's crime risk score is up by 14%. 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, Tower Hamlets's crime risk score has shown an upward trend of approximately 1.9%, 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
Tower Hamlets
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
Tower Hamlets • 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.
Theft From the Person offences have a crime rate of 5.10 reports per 1,000 people in Tower Hamlets, which is 3.29 times the national average. This figure is calculated from 2,766 crime reports logged by Metropolitan Police during the 12-month period ending April 2026.
For the same period, Metropolitan Police recorded 1,254 reports of Robbery in Tower Hamlets, resulting in a crime rate of 2.30 reports per 1,000, and a CrimeRate Index of 1.95.
The crime rate for Drugs is 1.72 times the national average at 5.33 reports per 1,000. This is from 2,887 crime reports reported to Metropolitan Police.
Most Significant 3-Year Increases in Crime Types
Tower Hamlets
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.
Shoplifting offences are trending upwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 0.85 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Shoplifting CrimeRate Index was 0.44 times the national average, and the current trend indicates an increase of 93% over this timeframe.
Public Order offences are trending upwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 0.75 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Public Order CrimeRate Index was 0.66 times the national average, and the current trend indicates an increase of 14% over this timeframe.
Criminal Damage and Arson offences are trending upwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 0.65 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Criminal Damage and Arson 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
Tower Hamlets
Calculated with the same methodology as the largest increases section above.
No significant decreases identified.
Crime Type Breakdown & Heat Map
Tower Hamlets • 12 Months Ending April 2026
Size and colour reflect the CrimeRate Index figures for each type of crime.
Tower Hamlets | London | Metropolitan Police | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Type | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 11,045 | 20.37 | 1.44 | 235,985 | 21.68 | 1.53 | 236,187 | 21.58 | 1.53 |
| Bicycle Theft | 998 | 1.83 | 2.51 | 13,695 | 1.26 | 1.73 | 13,744 | 1.26 | 1.73 |
| Burglary | 2,348 | 4.32 | 1.38 | 47,359 | 4.34 | 1.39 | 47,451 | 4.33 | 1.38 |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 2,038 | 3.75 | 0.60 | 54,098 | 4.99 | 0.79 | 54,220 | 4.97 | 0.79 |
| Drugs | 2,887 | 5.33 | 1.72 | 53,167 | 4.87 | 1.58 | 53,280 | 4.85 | 1.57 |
| Other Crime | 487 | 0.88 | 0.48 | 13,008 | 1.19 | 0.64 | 13,028 | 1.19 | 0.64 |
| Other Theft | 3,938 | 7.25 | 1.27 | 97,452 | 8.97 | 1.58 | 97,779 | 8.95 | 1.57 |
| Possession of Weapons | 276 | 0.50 | 0.59 | 6,443 | 0.60 | 0.71 | 6,461 | 0.60 | 0.71 |
| Public Order | 2,774 | 5.10 | 0.88 | 60,049 | 5.52 | 0.95 | 60,156 | 5.49 | 0.95 |
| Robbery | 1,254 | 2.30 | 1.95 | 30,804 | 2.83 | 2.40 | 30,857 | 2.83 | 2.40 |
| Shoplifting | 3,417 | 6.30 | 0.88 | 87,976 | 8.09 | 1.13 | 88,269 | 8.08 | 1.13 |
| Theft From the Person | 2,766 | 5.10 | 3.29 | 77,160 | 7.11 | 4.59 | 77,344 | 7.08 | 4.57 |
| Vehicle Crime | 2,596 | 4.78 | 1.11 | 81,755 | 7.50 | 1.74 | 81,900 | 7.50 | 1.74 |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 11,709 | 21.59 | 0.71 | 273,434 | 25.12 | 0.83 | 273,897 | 25.04 | 0.82 |
Download | |||||||||
Total Crime by Year
Tower Hamlets | London | Metropolitan Police | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index |
| 2026 | 37,488 | 69.03 | 0.96 | 896,400 | 82.39 | 1.14 | 898,386 | 82.17 | 1.14 |
| 2025 | 35,452 | 65.28 | 0.88 | 896,961 | 83.23 | 1.12 | 898,787 | 82.94 | 1.12 |
| 2024 | 35,635 | 66.28 | 0.88 | 900,986 | 84.38 | 1.12 | 902,681 | 84.12 | 1.12 |
| 2023 | 32,620 | 60.85 | 0.77 | 835,471 | 78.98 | 1.00 | 837,244 | 78.79 | 1.00 |
| 2022 | 32,196 | 60.98 | 0.79 | 795,646 | 75.77 | 0.99 | 797,303 | 75.56 | 0.98 |
| 2021 | 30,170 | 57.64 | 0.84 | 727,983 | 69.09 | 1.01 | 729,401 | 68.83 | 1.00 |
| 2020 | 31,037 | 59.21 | 0.80 | 819,467 | 77.66 | 1.05 | 821,362 | 77.41 | 1.04 |
| 2019 | 33,866 | 64.76 | 0.85 | 849,310 | 80.70 | 1.06 | 851,175 | 80.59 | 1.06 |
| 2018 | 31,349 | 60.39 | 0.85 | 810,063 | 77.08 | 1.08 | 811,738 | 76.91 | 1.08 |
| 2017 | 30,223 | 59.43 | 0.93 | 758,160 | 72.41 | 1.13 | 759,755 | 72.22 | 1.13 |
| 2016 | 8,887 | 17.61 | 0.92 | 234,565 | 22.42 | 1.18 | 235,003 | 22.39 | 1.17 |
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Crime in Tower Hamlets's Neighbourhoods
12 Months Ending Apr 2026
| Neighbourhood | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bethnal Green | 2,872 | 132.04 | 91% more dangerous |
| Blackwall | 965 | 61.47 | 11% safer |
| Bow | 2,301 | 77.86 | 13% more dangerous |
| Bow Common | 2,618 | 92.75 | 34% more dangerous |
| Bromley-by-Bow | 1,500 | 104.91 | 52% more dangerous |
| Cambridge Heath | 1,070 | 96.55 | 40% more dangerous |
| Canary Wharf | 1,539 | 28.47 | 59% safer |
| Cubitt Town | 1,426 | 55.43 | 20% safer |
| Globe Town | 1,135 | 80.35 | 16% more dangerous |
| Limehouse | 1,369 | 97.00 | 41% more dangerous |
| Mile End | 1,159 | 142.15 | 106% more dangerous |
| Millwall | 1,929 | 20.56 | 70% safer |
| Poplar | 3,494 | 103.11 | 49% more dangerous |
| Shadwell | 1,291 | 92.23 | 34% more dangerous |
| Spitalfields | 1,956 | 58.96 | 15% safer |
| Stepney | 2,246 | 79.33 | 15% more dangerous |
| Tower Hill | 317 | 79.95 | 16% more dangerous |
| Victoria Park | 337 | 191.03 | 177% more dangerous |
| Wapping | 1,405 | 73.32 | 6% more dangerous |
| Whitechapel | 5,811 | 92.73 | 34% more dangerous |
Tower Hamlets Compared to Other London Boroughs
12 Months Ending Apr 2026
| Borough | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwark | 39,255 | 91.28 | 32% more dangerous |
| Barking and Dagenham | 19,666 | 81.12 | 18% more dangerous |
| Hillingdon | 31,089 | 80.61 | 17% more dangerous |
| Ealing | 32,448 | 77.95 | 13% more dangerous |
| Hounslow | 26,744 | 77.29 | 12% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 33,841 | 75.52 | 9% more dangerous |
| Redbridge | 24,733 | 73.62 | 7% more dangerous |
| Tower Hamlets | 37,488 | 69.03 | - |
| Bromley | 23,687 | 67.01 | 2.9% safer |
| Wandsworth | 26,470 | 66.98 | 3.0% safer |
| Havering | 19,437 | 67.13 | 2.8% safer |
| Barnet | 28,762 | 65.93 | 4.5% safer |
| Kingston upon Thames | 11,906 | 61.30 | 11% safer |
Comparing Tower Hamlets to the UK's Major Cities
12 Months Ending Apr 2026
| City Name | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Tower Hamlets | 69.03 | - |
| Cardiff | 79.55 | 15% more dangerous |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 82.69 | 20% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 84.09 | 22% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.87 | 42% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 104.64 | 52% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 105.05 | 52% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 106.48 | 54% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 107.10 | 55% more dangerous |
| Nottingham | 107.74 | 56% more dangerous |
| Westminster | 125.00 | 81% more dangerous |
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Offences In and Around Tower Hamlets's Parks & Leisure Spaces
Limited to spaces in Tower Hamlets 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jubilee Gardens | 18 | 6 | 6 | - | 12 | 23 |
| Whitehorse Open Space | 43 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 28 | 28 |
| Ackroyd Drive Green Link | 60 | 18 | 9 | 13 | 54 | 89 |
| Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre | 12 | 1 | - | - | 2 | 9 |
| Fairchild's Garden | 24 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 12 | 47 |
| York Hall Leisure Centre | 17 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 19 | 24 |
| Stepney Green | 55 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 51 | 39 |
| Furze Green | 39 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 37 | 35 |
| Jolly's Green | 21 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 38 | 62 |
| Ropemakers Field | 47 | 16 | 5 | 3 | 17 | 32 |
| Aberfeldy Millennium Green | 34 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 36 | 80 |
| Wennington Green | 41 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 41 | 53 |
| Jesus Green | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 48 |
| Selwyn Green | 10 | 1 | 9 | - | 13 | 22 |
| Chiltern Green | 51 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 33 | 38 |
| Maudlins Green | 37 | 2 | 1 | - | 14 | 29 |
| Cloysters Green | 45 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 23 | 52 |
| Church Green | 8 | 4 | - | 1 | 30 | 24 |
| Harbord Square Park | 15 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 22 | 28 |
| Jubilee Park | 44 | 9 | 14 | 2 | 19 | 107 |
| St John's Park | 23 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 24 | 21 |
| Millwall Park | 79 | 42 | 18 | 9 | 73 | 52 |
| Bethnal Green Gardens | 23 | 39 | 74 | 4 | 143 | 74 |
| Meath Gardens | 60 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 57 | 75 |
| Victoria Park | 119 | 113 | 55 | 25 | 169 | 281 |
| Mile End Millennium Park | 43 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 34 | 33 |
| Bethnal Green Gardens | 43 | 23 | 30 | 12 | 96 | 148 |
| Vallance Road Gardens | 36 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 12 | 24 |
| Tredegar Square Gardens | 19 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 24 |
| Mile End Park | 58 | 53 | 33 | 20 | 139 | 253 |
| Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park | 47 | 10 | 13 | 8 | 60 | 108 |
| Shandy Park | 56 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 43 | 60 |
| Brickfield Gardens | 34 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 16 | 18 |
| Mile End Park | 14 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 10 | 9 |
| Southwater Close | 39 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 28 | 27 |
| Wakefield Gardens | 25 | 8 | 14 | 9 | 29 | 177 |
| Trinity Square Gardens | 25 | 8 | 14 | 9 | 29 | 177 |
| Tower Gardens | 20 | 6 | 10 | 5 | 12 | 115 |
| Tower Gardens | 20 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 21 | 104 |
| St George's Gardens | 22 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 18 | 28 |
| King Edward Memorial Park | 34 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 40 | 30 |
| Wapping Gardens | 59 | - | 6 | 1 | 11 | 35 |
| St John's Churchyard | 35 | - | 3 | 1 | 8 | 30 |
| Wapping Rose Gardens | 41 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 26 | 91 |
| Haggerston Park | 106 | 27 | 19 | 19 | 73 | 140 |
| Ravenscroft Park | 40 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 28 | 88 |
| Ion Square Gardens | 87 | 15 | 7 | 4 | 42 | 65 |
| Boundary Gardens | 31 | 15 | 1 | 4 | 26 | 25 |
| Shoreditch Station | 17 | 6 | 19 | 7 | 27 | 27 |
| Allen Gardens | 70 | 18 | 34 | 11 | 74 | 129 |
| Altab Ali Park | 30 | 13 | 18 | 3 | 21 | 91 |
| Joint Venture Garden | 9 | 1 | 4 | - | 12 | 18 |
| Weaver's Community Space | 55 | 32 | 36 | 26 | 132 | 149 |
| Bethnal Green Gardens | 10 | 13 | 20 | 11 | 69 | 118 |
| St Bartholomew's Gardens | 87 | 12 | 12 | 3 | 72 | 45 |
| Globe Road Memorial Gardens | 9 | - | 5 | 1 | 42 | 14 |
| Carlton Square Gardens | 10 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 19 | 47 |
| Sidney Square Gardens | 23 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 25 |
| Beaumont Square Gardens | 26 | 21 | 5 | 3 | 19 | 18 |
| Stepney Green Gardens | 40 | 19 | 6 | 6 | 49 | 53 |
| Arbour Square Gardens | 75 | 6 | 2 | - | 22 | 15 |
| Archibald Open Space | 12 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 28 | 56 |
| Mile End Park Leisure Centre | 33 | 26 | 17 | 9 | 42 | 51 |
| Stepney Church Yard | 60 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 31 | 31 |
| Ackroyd Drive Allotments | 23 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 36 | 25 |
| Childrens Play Park | 14 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 10 | 9 |
| Bartlett Park | 177 | 35 | 13 | 7 | 129 | 163 |
| Hermitage Riverside Memorial Gardens | 10 | 1 | - | - | 2 | 8 |
| Ropewalk Gardens | 3 | 4 | 1 | - | 5 | 5 |
| Gosling Gardens | 6 | - | 5 | 1 | 19 | 10 |
| Swedenborg Gardens | 74 | 21 | 15 | 17 | 101 | 260 |
| Cable Street Allotments | 37 | 1 | 5 | - | 15 | 11 |
| Barnardo Gardens | 22 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 52 | 19 |
| John Orwell Sports Centre | 17 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 38 |
| Waterside Gardens | 29 | - | 1 | - | 5 | 9 |
| York Square Gardens | 11 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 29 | 72 |
| St James's Gardens | 84 | 6 | 12 | 7 | 53 | 80 |
| King's Wharf | 14 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 20 |
| Sir John McDougal Gardens | 9 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 24 | 28 |
| Grove Hall Park | 19 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 17 | 23 |
| Reeves Road Allotments | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 9 |
| Bromley Recreation Ground | 26 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 59 | 57 |
| Prospect Park | 24 | 13 | 5 | 8 | 35 | 47 |
| Brock Place Gardens | 60 | 17 | 12 | 3 | 64 | 93 |
| Langdon Park | 28 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 29 | 32 |
| Poplar Baths Leisure Centre | 4 | - | 4 | 2 | 12 | 24 |
| Poplar Recreation Ground | 68 | 18 | 6 | 13 | 54 | 69 |
| Virginia Quay Park | 9 | 3 | - | 1 | 13 | 11 |
| Bow Green Ecology Park | 18 | 13 | 9 | - | 35 | 24 |
| Mudchute Park | 6 | - | 4 | 1 | 4 | 13 |
| Roman Road Adventure Playground | 16 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 38 | 49 |
| Middleton Green | 33 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 17 | 16 |
| Belgrave Open Space | 15 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 20 | 16 |
| St Lenoard's Priory | 16 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 24 | 14 |
| Braithwaite Gardens | 11 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 17 | 36 |
| South Dock Park | 33 | - | 3 | - | 12 | 19 |
Recent Crimes in Tower Hamlets
The 20 most recent crime reports in Tower Hamlets.
| Date | Crime Type | Location | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 2026 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Supermarket | |
| April 2026 | Public order | On or near Stepney Green | |
| April 2026 | Robbery | On or near Supermarket | |
| April 2026 | Shoplifting | On or near Supermarket | |
| April 2026 | Shoplifting | On or near Stepney Green | |
| April 2026 | Shoplifting | On or near Stepney Green | |
| April 2026 | Shoplifting | On or near Stepney Green | |
| April 2026 | Shoplifting | On or near Supermarket | |
| April 2026 | Shoplifting | On or near Stepney Green | |
| April 2026 | Shoplifting | On or near Stepney Green | |
| April 2026 | Shoplifting | On or near Stepney Green | |
| April 2026 | Shoplifting | On or near Stepney Green | |
| April 2026 | Vehicle crime | On or near Harbour Exchange Square | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Supermarket | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Harbour Exchange Square | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Supermarket | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Harbour Exchange Square | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Harbour Exchange Square | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Harbour Exchange Square | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Supermarket |
Methodology & Data Sources
Tower Hamlets 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 Tower Hamlets 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.
Tower Hamlets Data Points
For Tower Hamlets, 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 E43000220.
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 Tower Hamlets's daytime - or "workday" - population of 369,042 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 Tower Hamlets