Is Bethnal Green safe? Bethnal Green records more crime than most of Tower Hamlets: 132.04 offences per 1,000 people in the 12 months to April 2026, about 1.9 times the Tower Hamlets rate (69.03) and 1.6 times London’s (82.39), third highest of the borough’s 20 areas. Four in ten offences are thefts and shoplifting, the pattern of a busy high street and station, and the total fell by about 5 per cent on the year, so the risk depends far more on the street than on the area name. CrimeRate counts 2,872 recorded offences in Bethnal Green over that period.
Data: police-recorded crime, 12 months to April 2026 (latest CrimeRate period, checked 21 October 2026), counts and rates from CrimeRate’s analysis of data.police.uk; neighbourhood teams and priorities from the Metropolitan Police’s local pages (checked 21 October 2026); street data on data.police.uk published to August 2026. Shares, ratios and changes are our own arithmetic on those figures. The figures describe recorded incidents, not the people who live here. Updated 21 October 2026.
What is the crime rate in Bethnal Green?
Bethnal Green’s recorded crime rate is 132.04 per 1,000 people in the 12 months to April 2026, according to CrimeRate. That is about 1.9 times the Tower Hamlets rate of 69.03 and 1.6 times the London rate of 82.39. The 2,872 offences behind that rate exclude anti-social behaviour: the 14 categories CrimeRate lists add up to 3,905 incidents, and 1,033 of them are anti-social behaviour reports. Recorded crime measures what is logged in a busy place with a Central line station, two main roads and a street market, not the chance that something happens to you on a given walk. For the borough-wide picture, see is East London safe?
Is Bethnal Green one of the worst areas in Tower Hamlets?
Bethnal Green is third of the 20 Tower Hamlets areas on CrimeRate’s list for the 12 months to April 2026, behind Victoria Park (191.03 per 1,000) and Mile End (142.15). Victoria Park’s rate is inflated by a small resident count (337 offences), so among the larger areas only Mile End is higher. The low end of the borough is the business district: Millwall (20.56) and Canary Wharf (28.47).
| Area (Tower Hamlets) | Recorded offences, 12 months to April 2026 | Recorded crime per 1,000, 12 months to April 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Victoria Park | 337 | 191.03 |
| Mile End | 1,159 | 142.15 |
| Bethnal Green | 2,872 | 132.04 |
| Bromley-by-Bow | 1,500 | 104.91 |
| Poplar | 3,494 | 103.11 |
| Limehouse | 1,369 | 97.00 |
| Cambridge Heath | 1,070 | 96.55 |
| Whitechapel | 5,811 | 92.73 |
| Globe Town | 1,135 | 80.35 |
| Spitalfields | 1,956 | 58.96 |
| Canary Wharf | 1,539 | 28.47 |
| Millwall | 1,929 | 20.56 |
| Tower Hamlets (all areas) | 37,488 | 69.03 |
| London | 896,400 | 82.39 |
Source: CrimeRate analysis of data.police.uk, anti-social behaviour excluded. Selected areas shown; all 20 are on CrimeRate’s Tower Hamlets page.
The neighbours tell the story. Globe Town (80.35), just east of Bethnal Green, records about 40 per cent less crime per person, and Cambridge Heath to the north (96.55) about a quarter less, although they are a few minutes’ walk apart. Whitechapel records twice as many offences (5,811) but a lower rate (92.73), because far more people are counted there. Tower Hamlets as a whole sits below the London average only because Canary Wharf and Millwall pull it down; read London crime rate by borough for why borough rankings mislead.
What kind of crime is recorded in Bethnal Green?
Violence and sexual offences is the largest category in Bethnal Green, with 816 of the 2,872 offences (28.4 per cent) in the 12 months to April 2026, but theft-type offences together are larger still. The table compares each category’s share with Tower Hamlets as a whole.
| Category | Bethnal Green, 12 months to April 2026 | Share of Bethnal Green total | Share of Tower Hamlets total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 816 | 28.4% | 31.2% |
| Shoplifting | 386 | 13.4% | 9.1% |
| Other theft | 286 | 10.0% | 10.5% |
| Theft from the person | 245 | 8.5% | 7.4% |
| Public order | 204 | 7.1% | 7.4% |
| Burglary | 185 | 6.4% | 6.3% |
| Drugs | 184 | 6.4% | 7.7% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 160 | 5.6% | 5.4% |
| Bicycle theft | 126 | 4.4% | 2.7% |
| Robbery | 124 | 4.3% | 3.3% |
| Vehicle crime | 109 | 3.8% | 6.9% |
| Other crime | 30 | 1.0% | 1.3% |
| Possession of weapons | 17 | 0.6% | 0.7% |
| Total (excl. anti-social behaviour) | 2,872 | 100% | 100% (37,488) |
Source: CrimeRate analysis of data.police.uk; shares are our own arithmetic.
Three things stand out. First, shoplifting, other theft, theft from the person, bicycle theft and vehicle crime add up to 1,152 offences, about 40 per cent of the total and well above violence. Bethnal Green has 7.7 per cent of the borough’s recorded crime but 11.3 per cent of its shoplifting and 12.6 per cent of its bicycle thefts, the pattern of a shopping street and a commuter station. Second, vehicle crime is under-represented (3.8 per cent against 6.9 per cent borough-wide), which fits dense streets with fewer parked cars. Third, anti-social behaviour is a large extra layer: 1,033 reports, about 26 per cent of the 3,905 incidents when it is included, against about 23 per cent for Tower Hamlets. Violence and sexual offences is a broad police category that includes harassment and offences with no injury, so it does not mean that more than a quarter of incidents are assaults.
Is Bethnal Green getting safer?
Yes, over both one year and ten. Bethnal Green recorded 2,872 offences in the 12 months to April 2026, down from 3,019 the year before (a fall of 147, or 4.9 per cent) and from a peak of 3,838 in CrimeRate’s 2019 row (a fall of about 25 per cent). Over the same ten years Tower Hamlets and London both rose, so Bethnal Green has moved against the trend.
| Year (CrimeRate yearly row; 2026 = 12 months to April 2026) | Bethnal Green offences | Bethnal Green rate per 1,000 | Tower Hamlets rate per 1,000 | London rate per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 3,373 | 161.07 | 59.43 | 72.41 |
| 2018 | 3,599 | 170.86 | 60.39 | 77.08 |
| 2019 | 3,838 | 179.86 | 64.76 | 80.70 |
| 2020 | 3,168 | 148.18 | 59.21 | 77.66 |
| 2021 | 2,518 | 118.59 | 57.64 | 69.09 |
| 2022 | 3,174 | 149.33 | 60.98 | 75.77 |
| 2023 | 3,381 | 158.17 | 60.85 | 78.98 |
| 2024 | 3,342 | 156.17 | 66.28 | 84.38 |
| 2025 | 3,019 | 139.56 | 65.28 | 83.23 |
| 2026 | 2,872 | 132.04 | 69.03 | 82.39 |
Source: CrimeRate analysis of data.police.uk, anti-social behaviour excluded. Changes are our own arithmetic.
Between the 2017 and 2026 rows, Bethnal Green’s count fell by 501 offences (about 15 per cent) and its rate by about 18 per cent, while Tower Hamlets’ count rose by about 24 per cent and London’s by about 18 per cent. The 2021 dip (2,518) reflects the lockdown months, so the more useful comparison is with 2019 or 2023. Two years of falls in a row is a better sign than one, but it is still a short run, and the area remains well above the borough average.
Which police neighbourhood teams cover Bethnal Green?
Bethnal Green is policed by the Metropolitan Police’s Tower Hamlets neighbourhood teams, mainly the Bethnal Green West and Bethnal Green East Safer Neighbourhood Teams, with the Weavers team covering the streets towards Shoreditch (Met Police pages, checked 21 October 2026). All three set new local priorities on 5 October 2026, and drugs and anti-social behaviour appear in each of them.
| Met Police neighbourhood team (Tower Hamlets) | Priorities issued 5 October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Bethnal Green West | Drug-related anti-social behaviour on Vyner Street and Mowlem Street; reports of drug dealing at Parmiter Street and Huddleston Close; concerns about drug dealing and gatherings on the Collingwood Estate |
| Bethnal Green East | Drug dealing and use in and around Meath Gardens; violence against women and girls, with patrols at public transport hubs and crime prevention stands |
| Weavers | Theft, anti-social behaviour and drugs |
Source: Met Police neighbourhood team pages. Ward boundaries do not match the CrimeRate area exactly, so compare streets, not wards.
Priorities are a useful signal of what residents are reporting, because they are set at ward panel meetings. They are not a crime count: a street named here is one where people raised concerns, not necessarily one with more recorded crime than its neighbours. The team pages are also the right place to report a local, non-urgent problem.
When is crime most likely in Bethnal Green?
CrimeRate’s Bethnal Green figures for the 12 months to April 2026 are annual totals, so they show no month-by-month pattern for the area. Police street data is published monthly, and the postcode checker shows the last 12 months for any Bethnal Green postcode by month, which is the best way to see whether a street has a seasonal peak. For national patterns, our sister site explains when crime is most likely by hour, day and season.
Is Bethnal Green safe at night?
No official data shows whether Bethnal Green is riskier at night: police street-level data, including the 2,872 offences recorded in the 12 months to April 2026, carries a month and an approximate location but no time of day. What the mix does show is that theft from the person (245), robbery (124) and public order (204) are a larger part of Bethnal Green’s crime than in much of the borough, and the local team lists violence against women and girls as a priority with patrols at transport hubs. Late at night, use the main lit roads rather than estate cut-throughs, keep your phone out of sight near the station and check your own route in the UK crime map.
Is Bethnal Green a safe place to live?
The rate that matters for a home is the one for your own street, not the area average. Bethnal Green’s figure is pushed up by Bethnal Green Road, Cambridge Heath Road and the station, where many offences are recorded but fewer people live. Globe Town (80.35) next door records much less crime per person, and Peckham, a comparable inner-London high-street area in Southwark, records 121.82 per 1,000 on the same source (is Peckham safe?). Compare two postcodes before deciding, and read how to check crime in your area for the limits of any single number. This page describes what was recorded, not the people who live here.
How do I check a specific street or postcode in Bethnal Green?
- Enter the postcode in the postcode checker to see 12 months of police-recorded crime and the trend by month.
- Add a second postcode, for example one in Globe Town or near Victoria Park, to compare two streets side by side.
- Use the London crime map guide to see how Tower Hamlets compares with Hackney and the other boroughs.
- Check the local Met Police team page for current priorities and how to contact the team.
These figures describe areas, not addresses. Police data covers reported crime only, and each crime is shown at a nearby anonymised point. Read where our crime data comes from for the limits. Rates from different websites use different population estimates and are not directly comparable, so the area numbers on this page all come from one source.
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Bethnal Green crime FAQ
Is Bethnal Green safe?
Bethnal Green records more crime than most of Tower Hamlets: 132.04 per 1,000 people in the 12 months to April 2026, against 69.03 for the borough and 82.39 for London. About 40 per cent is theft and shoplifting, and the total fell 4.9 per cent on the year, so most streets are calmer than the area figure suggests.
What is the crime rate in Bethnal Green?
132.04 recorded crimes per 1,000 people in the 12 months to April 2026 (2,872 offences), according to CrimeRate’s analysis of police data. Anti-social behaviour, a further 1,033 reports, is not included in that figure.
Is Bethnal Green safe at night?
Police data cannot answer it directly, because the 2,872 offences recorded in the 12 months to April 2026 have no time of day. Theft from the person, robbery and public order are relatively common, so stick to the main lit roads late at night and keep your phone out of sight near the station.
Is Bethnal Green the most dangerous part of Tower Hamlets?
No. In the 12 months to April 2026 Victoria Park (191.03 per 1,000) and Mile End (142.15) recorded higher rates. Bethnal Green (132.04) is third of 20 Tower Hamlets areas.
Is crime in Bethnal Green going up or down?
Down. Recorded offences fell from 3,019 to 2,872 (4.9 per cent) in the 12 months to April 2026, and are about 25 per cent below the 2019 peak of 3,838, while Tower Hamlets and London rose over the decade.
More on East and inner London: is East London safe?, is Hackney safe?, is Stratford safe? and is Walthamstow safe? Across the capital: is London safe? and safest areas in London. In an emergency call 999.