Westminster Crime Overview
Westminster is the second most dangerous city in London. The overall crime rate in Westminster in 2020 was 167 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to London's overall crime rate, coming in 52% higher than London's rate of 81 per 1,000 residents. For England and Wales as a whole, Westminster ranks as the the second most dangerous city, and the the 96th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In November 2020, Westminster had the worst crime rate in London for other theft, with 423 crimes reported and a crime rate of 1.6 per 1,000 inhabitants. November 2020 was also a bad month for Westminster residents, when it was London's most dangerous area for public order, recording 220 crimes at a rate of 0.84 per 1,000 residents. Westminster recorded 314 reports of burglary during March 2020, making its crime rate of 1.2 the worst for burglary in London that month.
The most common crime in Westminster is other theft, with 8,875 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 34. This is 153% lower than 2019's figure of 22,412 offences and a difference of 51.81 from 2019's crime rate of 86. Westminster's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 250 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 84% from 2019's figure of 459 crimes.
Westminster Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Westminster This Year
| Westminster | London | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 17,581 | 67.28 | 386,651 | 43.14 | 36% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 1,414 | 5.41 | 23,018 | 2.57 | 52% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 2,716 | 10.39 | 56,330 | 6.29 | 39% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 1,779 | 6.81 | 47,563 | 5.31 | 22% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 2,808 | 10.75 | 49,029 | 5.47 | 49% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 273 | 1.04 | 9,534 | 1.06 | 1.9% safer |
| Other Theft | 8,875 | 33.96 | 77,783 | 8.68 | 74% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 250 | 0.96 | 5,602 | 0.63 | 34% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 2,898 | 11.09 | 52,270 | 5.83 | 47% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 1,950 | 7.46 | 25,480 | 2.84 | 62% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 2,486 | 9.51 | 32,905 | 3.67 | 61% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 6,839 | 26.17 | 31,829 | 3.55 | 86% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 3,273 | 12.53 | 99,978 | 11.16 | 11% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 8,172 | 31.27 | 211,943 | 23.65 | 24% more dangerous |
Westminster Compared to Nearby Cities
| Cities | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haringey | 25,571 | 95.18 | 76% safer |
| Hackney | 27,345 | 97.27 | 72% safer |
| Islington | 24,146 | 99.58 | 68% safer |
| Kensington and Chelsea | 16,253 | 104.10 | 61% safer |
| Camden | 28,903 | 107.04 | 56% safer |
| Westminster | 43,733 | 167.36 | - |
| City of London | 5,401 | 555.60 | 70% more dangerous |
Westminster Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 51 | 53 | 57 | 67 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 4.6 | 4.9 | 5 | 5 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 13 | 16 | 17 | 10 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 8 | 9 | 8 | 7 | Safer |
| Drugs | 8 | 7 | 12 | 11 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.0 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 49 | 61 | 86 | 34 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 0.96 | Safer |
| Public Order | 12 | 15 | 14 | 11 | Safer |
| Robbery | 9 | 12 | 16 | 7 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 18 | 19 | 17 | 10 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person | 34 | 46 | 70 | 26 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 16 | 16 | 16 | 13 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 38 | 43 | 45 | 31 | Safer |
Comparing Westminster to the UK's Major Cities
Crime in Westminster During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Westminster change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in August, when Westminster saw a 84% increase in vehicle crime. Westminster saw a large fall in theft from the person during April, when it fell by 96% compared to April in 2019. Westminster saw consistent falls in the crime rate of several types of crime during every month of its Coronavirus lockdown, including burglary, other theft, possession of weapons, robbery, shoplifting, theft from the person, and violence and sexual offences.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Oct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +3% | +69% | +57% | +27% | +10% | +12% | +31% | +41% | +51% |
| Bicycle Theft | -25% | -61% | -37% | +41% | +32% | - | +52% | +2% | +70% |
| Burglary | -7% | -62% | -54% | -43% | -35% | -42% | -36% | -45% | -57% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -23% | -55% | -42% | +18% | -8% | +23% | +21% | -26% | +12% |
| Drugs | -23% | +4% | +64% | -3% | +23% | -42% | -16% | -5% | -24% |
| Other Crime | +15% | -22% | +19% | -7% | -34% | +10% | - | -43% | - |
| Other Theft | -47% | -94% | -91% | -86% | -59% | -41% | -40% | -53% | -76% |
| Possession of Weapons | -50% | -58% | -43% | -56% | -54% | -48% | -53% | -37% | -36% |
| Public Order | -9% | -46% | -36% | -19% | +4% | -1% | +0% | -8% | -12% |
| Robbery | -35% | -88% | -91% | -76% | -65% | -32% | -30% | -53% | -56% |
| Shoplifting | -43% | -75% | -84% | -63% | -36% | -30% | -13% | -31% | -56% |
| Theft From the Person | -50% | -96% | -96% | -91% | -74% | -53% | -42% | -61% | -78% |
| Vehicle Crime | -30% | -67% | -58% | -39% | +28% | +84% | +56% | -13% | -36% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -19% | -51% | -36% | -36% | -18% | -22% | -11% | -23% | -35% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Westminster
What police force serves Westminster?
Westminster's local territorial police force is the Metropolitan Police Service.How dangerous is Westminster?
Westminster is the second most dangerous city in London.What is Westminster's most common crime?
The most common crime in Westminster is other theft.What is the least common crime in Westminster?
Westminster's least common crimes are possession of weapons.Last updated: 01 Mar 2021