The London crime map shows street-level crime recorded by the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police, published monthly on data.police.uk; on 6 October 2026 the latest month is August 2026. Across the 12 months to April 2026 London recorded about 896,400 crimes, 82 per 1,000 people, against 67.79 for England.
Data: data.police.uk changelog and police.uk neighbourhood pages (latest month August 2026), CrimeRate.co.uk (12 months to April 2026, excluding anti-social behaviour) and ONS Census 2021, all checked 6 October 2026. Updated 6 October 2026.
Key figures: crime in London (checked 6 October 2026)
- London: 896,400 crimes in the 12 months to April 2026, about 82 per 1,000 people, roughly 21% above England (67.79).
- Highest borough rate: Westminster, 125.02 per 1,000; lowest: Merton, 53.01. Westminster’s rate is about 2.4 times Merton’s.
- 10 of the 32 boroughs have a lower rate than England as a whole.
- Our count of police.uk data: the West End neighbourhood recorded 28,721 incidents from September 2025 to August 2026; Barnes in Richmond recorded 722.
- Latest month on the map: August 2026. British Transport Police data, which covers the Underground and rail stations, is missing for June to August 2026.
How do I check crime on a London street?
To check crime on a London street, type its postcode into our postcode checker for a 12-month count within one mile, then zoom to the street on the crime map to see where the August 2026 incidents sit. In central London, look at the categories: most dots near shops and stations are thefts.
- Enter the postcode. The checker counts police-recorded crime and anti-social behaviour within a one-mile radius, month by month. In central London one mile covers a lot of shops, stations and bars, so expect high numbers.
- Zoom in on the map. On the UK crime map, drag to the street and zoom past street level until clusters split. A pile of dots on one point is usually a station, a shopping centre or a busy junction, not the homes around it.
- Read the categories. Shoplifting, other theft and theft from the person tell you about pickpocketing and shop theft; violence and burglary say more about what residents experience.
- Open the police.uk neighbourhood page. Each Met ward has a page with 12 monthly totals, the top categories and the local team’s priorities.
- Compare with the borough. Our London crime rate by borough ranks all 33 areas per 1,000 people, so you can see whether a street sits in a high- or low-rate borough.
Safety App UK shows this police data on a live map, plans safer walking routes and sends SOS to your trusted circle. It is an independent app, not a police service: in an emergency call 999, and use 101 for anything else.
Which London boroughs have the highest and lowest crime rates?
In the 12 months to April 2026, Westminster had London’s highest crime rate at 125.02 per 1,000, followed by Kensington and Chelsea (119.60) and Lambeth (103.24), CrimeRate.co.uk shows. The lowest were Merton (53.01), Richmond upon Thames (53.96) and Sutton (58.71). Anti-social behaviour is excluded from these rates.
| Highest rate (12 months to April 2026) | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Westminster | 75,198 | 125.02 |
| 2. Kensington and Chelsea | 21,836 | 119.60 |
| 3. Lambeth | 37,842 | 103.24 |
| 4. Newham | 40,892 | 100.22 |
| 5. Camden | 39,579 | 97.84 |
| Lowest rate (12 months to April 2026) | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Merton | 13,175 | 53.01 |
| 2. Richmond upon Thames | 11,638 | 53.96 |
| 3. Sutton | 13,320 | 58.71 |
| 4. Harrow | 16,846 | 58.82 |
| 5. Bexley | 16,034 | 60.14 |
Source: CrimeRate.co.uk, Greater London, 12 months to April 2026, crimes excluding anti-social behaviour, checked 6 October 2026. CrimeRate uses its own population base, which includes daytime population. The City of London is left out of this ranking (see below).
The ranking says more about where people go than where they live. Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea and Camden hold the West End, the museums, Oxford Street and the main stations, and together recorded about 136,600 crimes, around 15% of London’s total. Ten boroughs, from Wandsworth (66.98) and Bromley (67.01) to Merton, have a lower rate than England as a whole. The full table of all 33 areas, with the reasons the order can mislead, is in our London crime rate by borough guide.
What does the London crime map show in the West End compared with a quiet neighbourhood?
From September 2025 to August 2026, police.uk recorded 28,721 crimes and anti-social behaviour incidents in the West End neighbourhood of Westminster, and 722 in Barnes, a residential ward of Richmond upon Thames, by our count of the monthly figures. The West End peaked at 3,476 in December 2025, 75% above its low of 1,983 in May 2026.
| Neighbourhood (Met) | Sep 2025 to Aug 2026 | Highest month | Top categories, August 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| West End (Westminster) | 28,721 | December 2025: 3,476 | Shoplifting 435, other theft 384, theft from the person 347, violence and sexual offences 264 |
| Barnes (Richmond upon Thames) | 722 | May 2026: 82 | Vehicle crime 15, violence and sexual offences 15, drugs 9, anti-social behaviour 7 |
Source: police.uk neighbourhood pages for West End and Barnes (Metropolitan Police Service), checked 6 October 2026. Totals include anti-social behaviour. Sums and percentages are our own calculation.
Two things stand out. November and December alone made up about 24% of the West End’s year, which matches the Christmas shopping crowds rather than any change for residents. And in August 2026 violence and sexual offences were 264 of the West End’s 1,987 incidents, about 13%, while across London they make up about 24% of all incidents including anti-social behaviour. A street on the West End map is dominated by theft from shops and from people’s pockets and bags. Neighbourhoods are different sizes, so compare their mix and trend, not only their totals.
Which crimes are most common in London?
Violence and sexual offences are London’s largest single category, with 273,434 recorded crimes in the 12 months to April 2026, about 31% of the 896,400 total. But the four theft categories together (other theft, shoplifting, theft from the person and bicycle theft) add up to 276,283, slightly more than violence, by our calculation.
| Category (12 months to April 2026) | Crimes | Share of London total |
|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 273,434 | 30.5% |
| Other theft | 97,452 | 10.9% |
| Shoplifting | 87,976 | 9.8% |
| Vehicle crime | 81,755 | 9.1% |
| Theft from the person | 77,160 | 8.6% |
| Public order | 60,049 | 6.7% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 54,098 | 6.0% |
| Drugs | 53,167 | 5.9% |
| Burglary | 47,359 | 5.3% |
| Robbery | 30,804 | 3.4% |
| Bicycle theft | 13,695 | 1.5% |
| Other crime | 13,008 | 1.5% |
| Possession of weapons | 6,443 | 0.7% |
| Total (excluding anti-social behaviour) | 896,400 | 100% |
| Anti-social behaviour (not in the total) | 235,985 | +26% |
Source: CrimeRate.co.uk, Greater London, 12 months to April 2026, checked 6 October 2026. The 13 categories add up exactly to the 896,400 headline; shares are our own calculation.
Theft from the person is where central London stands out. Westminster alone recorded 19,993 of these offences, about 26% of London’s 77,160, and its total fell from 84,643 to 75,198 crimes year on year (about 11% lower), CrimeRate shows. On the map, anti-social behaviour adds roughly a quarter on top of the crime figures, which is why a London postcode check usually returns more incidents than the borough rate suggests.
Why does the City of London look so different on the crime map?
The City of London, the Square Mile, is policed by the City of London Police, not the Met, and had only about 8,600 residents at the 2021 Census, ONS figures show. With hundreds of thousands of daily workers and visitors, any rate per resident is meaningless, so we leave the City out of the borough ranking.
CrimeRate lists 9,528 crimes for the City in the 12 months to April 2026. The streets themselves still appear on the crime map, and the same rule applies as in the West End: look at the categories and the location of the dots, not a single per-person figure. Our City of London crime map guide breaks the Square Mile down by neighbourhood and crime type.
What does the London crime map not show?
The London crime map does not show exact addresses, the time of day, unreported crime or the most recent weeks. In October 2026 it is missing British Transport Police data for June, July and August 2026, so crimes on the Underground and at rail stations are absent for those months, data.police.uk’s changelog shows.
| Not on the map | Why it matters in London |
|---|---|
| Exact locations | Every crime is moved to an anonymous point over a street or public place covering at least eight addresses. A dot on Oxford Street can stand for a shop anywhere along that stretch. |
| BTP data, June to August 2026 | Station and Underground crime is policed by British Transport Police, which did not supply those months. Station areas look quieter than they were. |
| Uneven lag | Neighbourhood pages do not all end in the same month: on 6 October 2026 West End and Barnes end in August 2026, while St James’s still ends in June 2026. Compare the same 12 months. |
| Time of day | Street-level data has the month only, so it cannot tell a daytime shopping street from a late-night one. |
| Rate per resident | The map shows counts. Central streets with few residents and huge footfall always look high. |
| Unreported crime | Only police-recorded crime appears. |
Our guide to the police crime map explains the anonymous points and the missing forces in detail, and where our crime data comes from covers how we process it.
Where can I read more about crime in London?
For a verdict on safety rather than a map, read Is London safe?. For the full borough table see London crime rate by borough, and for the quieter end of the list, safest areas in London. Area guides cover Brixton, Camden, Hackney, Croydon, Peckham, Lewisham, Stratford, Tottenham, Walthamstow and East London. To compare more than one postcode, see how to check crime in your area.
London crime map: FAQ
Is there a crime map for London?
Yes. Our crime map and police.uk both show street-level crime for every London borough from official police data, free and without an account. The latest month on 6 October 2026 is August 2026.
What is the crime rate in London?
About 82 crimes per 1,000 people in the 12 months to April 2026, from 896,400 crimes excluding anti-social behaviour, according to CrimeRate.co.uk. England’s rate for the same period is 67.79.
Which part of London has the most crime?
Westminster has the highest borough rate (125.02 per 1,000) and the largest count (75,198). Within it, the West End neighbourhood recorded 28,721 incidents in the year to August 2026, mostly theft and shoplifting linked to its crowds.
Can I check crime by London postcode?
Yes. Enter any London postcode in our postcode checker to see 12 months of recorded crime within one mile, split by category. It cannot show a single house, because the police data is anonymised.
Why are crimes on the Tube missing from the map?
British Transport Police, which polices the Underground and rail network, did not supply crime data for June, July or August 2026, according to the data.police.uk changelog. Those months will appear only if the force publishes them later.
For what to do after a crime or a frightening incident, see our sister site safety-app.co.uk.