Is Enfield safe? Enfield is a mid-ranking London borough for recorded crime: the Metropolitan Police recorded 28,693 notifiable offences there in the 12 months to January 2026, a rate of 87.0 per 1,000 residents against a London average of 104.4, and the total fell 4.2 per cent on the year. Crime is concentrated in the east of the borough, around Edmonton Green, Upper Edmonton, Lower Edmonton and Ponders End, while the western and northern wards record much less. Robbery, drug offences and theft from the person rose while vehicle crime fell by a fifth.
Data: Metropolitan Police crime data (MPS Monthly Crime Dashboard) for Enfield, 12 months to January 2026 compared with the 12 months to January 2025, as published in Enfield Council’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board performance report (February 2026, read 28 October 2026); borough comparison from CrimeRate’s analysis of data.police.uk, 12 months to April 2026 (as checked on 27 October 2026 for our Tottenham guide); data.police.uk street data published to August 2026 (checked 28 October 2026). Rates per 1,000 for single categories, shares and changes are our own arithmetic. The figures describe recorded incidents, not the people who live here. Updated 28 October 2026.
What is the crime rate in Enfield?
Enfield’s recorded crime rate was 87.0 offences per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to January 2026, from 28,693 total notifiable offences recorded by the Metropolitan Police, down from 90.8 (29,950 offences) a year earlier. The London average on the same Met measure was 104.4 per 1,000, so Enfield’s rate is about 17 per cent below the capital’s. Anti-social behaviour is counted separately: 7,528 incidents, down 2.6 per cent.
The council’s figures use a population of 329,986 for Enfield. Total notifiable offences is the Met’s own headline measure; it is not the same count as the street-level data on police.uk, so the rate here should not be mixed with figures from other websites. On CrimeRate’s measure, built from police.uk street data and a different population base, Enfield records 85.76 per 1,000 against 82.39 for London in the 12 months to April 2026, slightly above the London figure. Both measures put Enfield in the middle of London’s 32 boroughs rather than at either end.
Where does Enfield rank among London boroughs?
Enfield ranked 19th of London’s 32 boroughs for recorded crime rate and 15th for the number of offences in the 12 months to January 2026, according to Enfield Council’s analysis of Met Police data. A year earlier it was 20th by rate and 13th by volume. As one of London’s larger boroughs by population, Enfield records a mid-table number of offences but a below-average rate per resident.
| Measure (Met Police data) | 12 months to January 2025 | 12 months to January 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enfield total notifiable offences | 29,950 | 28,693 | −4.2% |
| Enfield rate per 1,000 residents | 90.8 | 87.0 | −3.8 per 1,000 |
| London average rate per 1,000 | 106.5 | 104.4 | −2.1 per 1,000 |
| Enfield rank by rate (of 32 boroughs) | 20th | 19th | – |
| Enfield rank by volume (of 32 boroughs) | 13th | 15th | – |
| London change in offences | – | – | −2.0% |
Source: Enfield Council, Safer and Stronger Communities Board performance report update, February 2026 (MPS Monthly Crime Dashboard data). Rate changes are our own arithmetic.
Enfield’s total fell about twice as fast as London’s (4.2 per cent against 2.0 per cent). Most of that fall came from one category: vehicle offences dropped by 937, which is about three-quarters of the borough’s overall reduction of 1,257 offences.
Is Enfield safer than Tottenham, Islington or Barnet?
Enfield records less crime per person than its southern neighbours Haringey and Islington but more than Waltham Forest and Barnet. On CrimeRate’s measure for the 12 months to April 2026, Enfield’s rate is 85.76 per 1,000, against 95.10 in Haringey (which includes Tottenham), 90.89 in Islington, 80.11 in Waltham Forest and 65.93 in Barnet.
| Borough | Recorded crime per 1,000, 12 months to April 2026 | Compared with London (82.39) |
|---|---|---|
| Haringey | 95.10 | +15% |
| Islington | 90.89 | +10% |
| Enfield | 85.76 | +4% |
| London | 82.39 | – |
| Waltham Forest | 80.11 | −3% |
| Barnet | 65.93 | −20% |
Source: CrimeRate analysis of data.police.uk, anti-social behaviour excluded (figures as checked on 27 October 2026 for our Tottenham guide; CrimeRate’s London pages could not be loaded on 28 October 2026). Percentages are our own arithmetic.
All rows in this table come from one source and one population method, which is why they are comparable with each other but not with the Met figure of 87.0 above. The gradient runs north to south: the boroughs closer to central London record more, the outer, greener ones less, and Enfield sits between them. For the neighbouring areas, read is Tottenham safe?, is Islington safe? and is Walthamstow safe?, and for every borough see London crime rate by borough.
What kind of crime is recorded in Enfield?
Violence against the person is the largest category in Enfield, with 8,434 of the 28,693 offences (29.4 per cent) in the 12 months to January 2026, followed by theft with 6,559 (22.9 per cent) and vehicle offences with 3,724 (13.0 per cent). Burglary (1,852) and drug offences (1,974) each make up about 6 to 7 per cent.
| Category (Met Police data) | Enfield offences, 12 months to January 2026 | Per 1,000 residents | Share of all offences |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violence against the person | 8,434 | 25.56 | 29.4% |
| of which non-domestic violence with injury | 2,155 | 6.53 | 7.5% |
| Theft | 6,559 | 19.88 | 22.9% |
| of which shoplifting | 2,379 | 7.21 | 8.3% |
| of which theft from the person | 1,364 | 4.13 | 4.8% |
| Vehicle offences | 3,724 | 11.29 | 13.0% |
| Drug offences | 1,974 | 5.98 | 6.9% |
| Burglary | 1,852 | 5.61 | 6.5% |
| of which residential burglary | 1,201 | 3.64 | 4.2% |
| Robbery | 1,028 | 3.12 | 3.6% |
| Knife crime offences | 620 | 1.88 | 2.2% |
| Sexual offences | 577 | 1.75 | 2.0% |
| Hate crime | 573 | 1.74 | 2.0% |
| Gun crime offences | 98 | 0.30 | 0.3% |
| Total notifiable offences | 28,693 | 87.0 | 100% |
| Anti-social behaviour incidents (not in total) | 7,528 | 22.81 | – |
Source: Enfield Council SSCB performance report, February 2026 (MPS data). Rates per 1,000 (population 329,986) and shares are our own arithmetic. The rows are the categories the council reports; they overlap (knife, gun and hate crime cut across other categories) and do not add up to the total.
Three things stand out. First, violence against the person is a broad police category that includes harassment, threats and offences with no injury; the narrower non-domestic violence with injury is 2,155 offences, about a quarter of it. Second, vehicle offences, at 11.29 per 1,000, are a large share for a London borough, a crime against cars parked on suburban streets rather than against people. Third, knife crime with injury is low in absolute terms: 133 offences in a year, about 0.4 per 1,000 residents.
Is crime in Enfield going up or down?
Down overall. Enfield’s total notifiable offences fell 4.2 per cent, from 29,950 to 28,693, between the 12 months to January 2025 and the 12 months to January 2026, against a 2.0 per cent fall across London. But the direction differs by type: robbery (+4.8 per cent), theft from the person (+8.3 per cent), sexual offences (+10.7 per cent) and drug offences (+20.8 per cent) rose, while London fell on robbery and theft from the person.
| Category | Enfield, 12 months to Jan 2025 | Enfield, 12 months to Jan 2026 | Enfield change | London change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total notifiable offences | 29,950 | 28,693 | −4.2% | −2.0% |
| Violence against the person | 8,419 | 8,434 | +0.2% | +5.3% |
| Non-domestic violence with injury | 2,312 | 2,155 | −6.8% | −2.4% |
| Robbery | 981 | 1,028 | +4.8% | −5.5% |
| Theft from the person | 1,259 | 1,364 | +8.3% | −16.7% |
| Burglary | 2,005 | 1,852 | −7.6% | −9.6% |
| Residential burglary | 1,227 | 1,201 | −2.1% | −8.7% |
| Vehicle offences | 4,661 | 3,724 | −20.1% | −13.8% |
| Shoplifting | 2,845 | 2,379 | −16.4% | −0.6% |
| Drug offences | 1,634 | 1,974 | +20.8% | +28.2% |
| Sexual offences | 521 | 577 | +10.7% | +7.0% |
| Knife crime offences | 650 | 620 | −4.6% | −15.6% |
| Knife crime with injury | 171 | 133 | −22.2% | −10.6% |
| Gun crime offences | 108 | 98 | −9.3% | −13.7% |
| Hate crime | 631 | 573 | −9.2% | +1.8% |
| Anti-social behaviour incidents | 7,726 | 7,528 | −2.6% | −0.5% |
Source: Enfield Council SSCB performance report, February 2026 (MPS Monthly Crime Dashboard data); percentages as published in the report’s table (we re-checked each against the counts).
The mixed picture matters more than the headline. Enfield did better than London on vehicle crime, shoplifting, violence and knife crime with injury, but worse on robbery and theft from the person, the street offences that most affect people out and about, and on knife crime offences overall, which fell far less than London’s 15.6 per cent. Drug offences usually rise when police target dealing, and the council links the increase to focused operations in Ponders End, Upper Edmonton and Edmonton Green, so that rise is partly a sign of enforcement. These are two years only: the published reports we could read do not give a ten-year series for the borough on the same measure, so this page does not claim a long-term trend.
Which parts of Enfield have the most crime?
The east of Enfield, along the A1010 and the Lea Valley, records the most crime. Enfield Council’s February 2026 report lists Edmonton Green and Upper Edmonton among the highest-volume wards for violence, robbery, knife crime, sexual offences and drugs, with Ponders End, Lower Edmonton and Haselbury also appearing repeatedly. Several western wards (Winchmore Hill, Grange Park, Bush Hill Park and Palmers Green) appear only in the list of falling burglary.
| Crime type (12 months to January 2026) | Wards with the highest volume (council report) |
|---|---|
| Violence against the person and non-domestic violence with injury | Edmonton Green, Upper Edmonton, Ponders End, Lower Edmonton, Haselbury |
| Robbery of personal property | Edmonton Green, Upper Edmonton, Town, Ponders End, Southbury |
| Knife crime offences | Edmonton Green, Ponders End, Southbury, Upper Edmonton, Brimsdown |
| Residential burglary | Jubilee, Lower Edmonton, Brimsdown, Edmonton Green, Haselbury |
| Residential burglary, largest increases | Oakwood, Ridgeway, Jubilee, Bullsmoor |
| Residential burglary, largest decreases | Bush Hill Park, Grange Park, Winchmore Hill, Palmers Green |
| Sexual offences | Edmonton Green, Upper Edmonton, Haselbury, Ponders End |
| Hate crime (by rate) | Town (4.5), Edmonton Green (4.1), Ponders End (2.9), Upper Edmonton (2.5) |
Source: Enfield Council SSCB performance report, February 2026 (MPS data). The report ranks wards by number of offences, not per resident, except where marked (the report does not give the unit for the hate crime rates).
Edmonton Green appears in six of the eight lists, which fits a busy town centre with a shopping centre, bus station and rail station: offences are recorded where people gather, shop and travel, not only where they live. Town ward, which covers Enfield Town’s shopping streets, appears for robbery and hate crime for the same reason. Volume lists favour larger, busier wards, so being on a list does not mean a ward is risky for the people who live there. Burglary is the one crime that reaches across the borough, with rises in Oakwood, Ridgeway and Bullsmoor in the west and north.
When is crime most likely in Enfield?
Enfield’s violence and robbery peak in spring, summer and autumn: the council’s February 2026 report names June, July, October and January as peak months for violence against the person, and April to June and November for robbery. Burglary peaks in February, September and November, as the evenings get darker, and 51 per cent of thefts in 2025 were recorded in the first six months of the year.
| Crime type (Enfield, last 12 months to January 2026) | Peak months named by the council |
|---|---|
| Violence against the person | June, July, October, January |
| Non-domestic violence with injury | April, July, October (summer and autumn) |
| Robbery | April to June, November (spring and autumn) |
| Knife crime | April, June, July, October |
| Burglary | February, September, November |
| Theft | February, March, June, July |
| Sexual offences | July, August, September, January |
Source: Enfield Council SSCB performance report, February 2026 (MPS data).
The burglary peak in autumn and late winter matches the national pattern: more homes are dark when people are out after the clocks go back. For the national picture by hour, day and season, our sister site’s guide to when crime is most likely sets out what the national figures show.
Is Enfield safe at night?
No published data shows whether Enfield is riskier at night: the Met figures for the 12 months to January 2026 and police street-level data carry no time of day. What the data does show is that robbery (1,028 offences, up 4.8 per cent) and theft from the person (1,364, up 8.3 per cent) are rising, and both concentrate in the busy centres such as Edmonton Green and Enfield Town. One gap matters for stations: British Transport Police supplied no crime data to data.police.uk for March 2025 to August 2026, so offences inside Edmonton Green, Enfield Town, Southgate and the other stations are missing from recent street-level maps (see how the police crime map works). After dark, keep your phone out of sight around station exits and bus stations, use the lit main roads, and plan the route home before you set off; you can look at your own route in the UK crime map.
Is Enfield a good place to live?
For most residents, crime in Enfield is around the London middle: 87.0 recorded offences per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to January 2026, below the London average of 104.4, and falling. The borough is large and varied, and the figure that matters for a home is the one for your own street. The east (Edmonton, Ponders End) records most of the violence, robbery and drug offences; the western wards (Southgate, Winchmore Hill, Grange Park, Palmers Green) appear far less often in the council’s high-volume lists, although burglary rose in Oakwood, Ridgeway and Bullsmoor. For residents, the numbers to watch are residential burglary (1,201 offences, 3.64 per 1,000) and vehicle offences (3,724, though down a fifth). 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 Enfield?
- Enter the postcode in the postcode checker to see 12 months of police-recorded crime for that street and the trend by month.
- Add a second postcode, for example one in Edmonton and one in Southgate or Enfield Town, to compare two streets side by side.
- Use the London crime map guide to see how Enfield compares with Haringey, Barnet and Waltham Forest.
- Check the Met Police neighbourhood team page for your ward for current priorities and how to raise a non-urgent problem.
Police street data shows reported crime only, at an anonymised point near where it happened, and borough or ward figures describe areas, not addresses. Read where our crime data comes from for the limits.
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Enfield crime FAQ
Is Enfield safe?
Enfield is a mid-ranking London borough for crime. The Met recorded 87.0 offences per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to January 2026, below the London average of 104.4, and the total fell 4.2 per cent. Crime is concentrated in the east, around Edmonton Green, Upper Edmonton and Ponders End.
What is the crime rate in Enfield?
87.0 recorded offences per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to January 2026 (28,693 total notifiable offences), according to Met Police data published by Enfield Council. Anti-social behaviour, a further 7,528 incidents, is counted separately.
Is crime in Enfield going up?
No, overall it fell 4.2 per cent in the 12 months to January 2026, faster than London’s 2.0 per cent. Robbery (+4.8 per cent), theft from the person (+8.3 per cent) and drug offences (+20.8 per cent) rose, while vehicle offences fell 20.1 per cent.
What is the most dangerous area in Enfield?
By number of offences, Edmonton Green ward: it appears in six of the eight ward lists in Enfield Council’s February 2026 report, including violence, robbery and knife crime. Upper Edmonton, Ponders End and Lower Edmonton follow. These are volume lists for busy town-centre wards, not per-resident risk.
Is Enfield safer than Tottenham?
Yes, on the same measure. In the 12 months to April 2026 Enfield recorded 85.76 offences per 1,000 people and Haringey, which includes Tottenham, 95.10, according to CrimeRate’s analysis of police data, so Haringey’s rate is about 11 per cent higher.
More on North and East London: is Tottenham safe?, is Islington safe?, is Walthamstow safe? and is East London safe? Across the capital: is London safe? and safest areas in London. In an emergency call 999.