Wandsworth Crime Overview
Wandsworth is among the top 20 safest cities in London. The overall crime rate in Wandsworth in 2020 was 68 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to London's overall crime rate, coming in 19% lower than London's rate of 81 per 1,000 residents. For England and Wales as a whole, Wandsworth ranks as the the 41st safest city, and the the 1,259th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In May 2017, Wandsworth had the worst crime rate in London for bicycle theft, with 147 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.45 per 1,000 inhabitants. October 2016 was also a bad month for Wandsworth residents, when it was London's most dangerous area for vehicle crime, recording 457 crimes at a rate of 1.4 per 1,000 residents.
The most common crimes in Wandsworth are violence and sexual offences, with 6,589 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 20. This is 8% lower than 2019's figure of 7,143 offences and a difference of 1.68 from 2019's crime rate of 22. Wandsworth's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 128 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 23% from 2019's figure of 158 crimes.
Wandsworth Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Wandsworth This Year
| Wandsworth | London | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 12,874 | 39.05 | 386,651 | 43.14 | 10% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 1,280 | 3.88 | 23,018 | 2.57 | 34% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 2,077 | 6.30 | 56,330 | 6.29 | 0.16% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 1,413 | 4.29 | 47,563 | 5.31 | 24% safer |
| Drugs | 1,314 | 3.99 | 49,029 | 5.47 | 37% safer |
| Other Crime | 284 | 0.86 | 9,534 | 1.06 | 23% safer |
| Other Theft | 2,239 | 6.79 | 77,783 | 8.68 | 28% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 128 | 0.39 | 5,602 | 0.63 | 62% safer |
| Public Order | 1,660 | 5.04 | 52,270 | 5.83 | 16% safer |
| Robbery | 710 | 2.15 | 25,480 | 2.84 | 32% safer |
| Shoplifting | 850 | 2.58 | 32,905 | 3.67 | 42% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 523 | 1.59 | 31,829 | 3.55 | 123% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 3,290 | 9.98 | 99,978 | 11.16 | 12% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 6,589 | 19.99 | 211,943 | 23.65 | 18% safer |
Wandsworth Compared to Nearby Cities
| Cities | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Havering | 15,405 | 59.35 | 14% safer |
| Bromley | 19,959 | 60.06 | 13% safer |
| Merton | 12,487 | 60.46 | 12% safer |
| Queen's Park | 917 | 62.12 | 9% safer |
| Barnet | 24,670 | 62.32 | 9% safer |
| Wandsworth | 22,357 | 67.81 | - |
| Redbridge | 21,043 | 68.94 | 1.6% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 29,847 | 77.18 | 12% more dangerous |
| Ealing | 26,439 | 77.35 | 12% more dangerous |
| Waltham Forest | 21,505 | 77.64 | 13% more dangerous |
| Brent | 25,664 | 77.82 | 13% more dangerous |
Wandsworth Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 19 | 19 | 21 | 39 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 3.7 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 3.9 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 7 | 8 | 8 | 6 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 6 | 5 | 4.8 | 4.3 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.2 | 2.0 | 2.7 | 4.0 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.81 | 0.92 | 0.80 | 0.86 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 10 | 10 | 10 | 7 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.49 | 0.56 | 0.48 | 0.39 | Safer |
| Public Order | 4.4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | Getting worse |
| Robbery | 2.2 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.2 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 4.3 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 2.6 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person | 2.0 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 1.6 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 12 | 12 | 12 | 10 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 20 | 22 | 22 | 20 | Safer |
Comparing Wandsworth to the UK's Major Cities
| Cities | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Wandsworth | 67.81 | - |
| Coventry | 71.50 | 5% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 73.99 | 8% more dangerous |
| Kirklees | 74.23 | 9% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 77.18 | 12% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 79.19 | 14% more dangerous |
| London | 80.70 | 16% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 89.02 | 24% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 91.57 | 26% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 91.90 | 26% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 102.51 | 34% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 105.94 | 36% more dangerous |
Crime in Wandsworth During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Wandsworth change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in April, when Wandsworth saw a 257% increase in anti-social behaviour. Wandsworth saw a large fall in possession of weapons during June, when it fell by 81% compared to June in 2019. Rates of burglary and shoplifting both fell year-on-year for every month during Wandsworth's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Oct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +28% | +257% | +248% | +149% | +55% | +56% | +90% | +89% | +151% |
| Bicycle Theft | -47% | -49% | -7% | +58% | +95% | +133% | +234% | +58% | +26% |
| Burglary | -20% | -27% | -21% | -33% | -12% | -19% | -11% | -11% | -19% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -24% | -29% | -25% | -12% | -5% | +48% | +29% | +28% | +6% |
| Drugs | +26% | +81% | +121% | +35% | -13% | -14% | +74% | +29% | +83% |
| Other Crime | -33% | +5% | +56% | +17% | +50% | +28% | +18% | +14% | -4% |
| Other Theft | -23% | -60% | -51% | -30% | -25% | -2% | +10% | -24% | -38% |
| Possession of Weapons | -24% | +11% | +50% | -81% | -33% | +71% | -31% | -20% | -31% |
| Public Order | -23% | -27% | -19% | +31% | +13% | +8% | +41% | -14% | -1% |
| Robbery | -6% | -47% | -46% | +10% | +37% | +37% | -22% | -27% | +1% |
| Shoplifting | -20% | -43% | -47% | -60% | -14% | -29% | -31% | -14% | -30% |
| Theft From the Person | -33% | -73% | -64% | -68% | -34% | -21% | +29% | -9% | -3% |
| Vehicle Crime | -10% | -47% | +0% | +9% | -13% | +18% | +13% | -25% | -29% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -11% | -21% | -12% | -6% | +11% | +22% | +24% | -2% | +13% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Wandsworth
What police force serves Wandsworth?
Wandsworth's local territorial police force is the Metropolitan Police Service.How dangerous is Wandsworth?
Wandsworth is among the top 20 safest cities in London.What is Wandsworth's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Wandsworth are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Wandsworth?
Wandsworth's least common crimes are possession of weapons.Last updated: 01 Mar 2021