London, the captial of England and the United Kingdom, is one of the most heavily visited cities in the world.

With over a population of 9,000,000 and racking up 30 million tourists per year, London sees its fair share of crowds, and with crowds, comes the potential for crime occuring.

In this article, we will discover the top 10 most dangerous areas in London and overlook the crime rates of each borough in London.

1. Is London A Dangerous City?
2. What Boroughs Of London Are The Most Dangerous?
3. What Crimes Happen The Most In London?
4. Conclusion

Is London A Dangerous City?

From the data collected from Confused.com , it shows that London was ranked the 4th most secure postcode group in the UK

Data gathered to conjure up this statistic is gathered from around 32 different factors. This covers the number of police officers in the area, crime rates per 1,000 people, the amount of CCTV cameras in the area, and resident safety.

Due to a variety of factors, including London having just 13,924 CCTV cameras making it the 5th highest amount of CCTV in a UK city with the highest on the list being Liverpool with an astounding 35,254 cameras. There were also only 9 burglaries per 1000 people, making it one of the most dangerous burglaries on that list.

London has over 31,175 officers employed across the city, making it the highest number of officers in the UK. This is due to the demand for officers needed to deal with multiple events happening in the city. The number of crimes is also extremely high at 92,483.

According to crimerate, the most common crime in London is anti-social behaviour at a high number of 303,000 recording instances in 2021, followed by violence and sexual offences at 244,978 instances and then the third most common crime being vehicle crime with 98.517  instances.

These crimes can have an impact on businesses, retailers, and commercial buildings, necessitating additional protections and security.

The high levels of anti-social behaviour are closely connected to London’s busy streets and nightlife, with alcohol usage accounting for the majority of the anti-social behaviour.

At the same time, criminal damage and burglary are massively increasing in London, as London holds many expensive assets that have attracted the eye of burglars in the area

London’s crime rates will seem high compared to other cities within the UK due to its population and tourist attraction but just like every city, London has its safe areas and more dangerous areas with higher crime levels.

What Boroughs Of London Are The Most Dangerous?

Data collated by Greater London police, show the crime rates per borough in and around the Greater London region over a twelve-month period in the year ending January 2022. The most dangerous are ranked in the average crimes per 1000 people.

10th – Haringey – 10th on the list of ‘most dangerous areas in London’ is Haringey with 28,390 crimes. Haringey is a borough located in the northern part of London. It was voted the tenth most dangerous borough in London with over 106 crimes per 1000 people. It was voted the worst borough for burglary with 1 in 1000 people being a victim of it.

9th – Enfield – Enfield, located in the north of London, was voted the 9th most dangerous area to live in London with a reported number of 28,415 crimes. Enfield reports a high crime rate of 85 crimes per 1000 people and was voted the most dangerous borough for vehicle crime with nearly 2 vehicle-related crimes per 1000 people

8th – Camden – Camden is a borough located in the northwest of London with a population of 262,000. It was voted the 8th most dangerous area in London. Camden was voted high for bicycle theft and violence and sexual offences with over 7100 offences in 2021.

7th – Hackney – Hackney, located in the east of London, with a population of 280,000, was voted the 7th most dangerous borough in London with a reported number of 29,610 crimes. Hackney reports a high number of bicycle theft, making it one of the highest reported for a borough in London

6th – Lambeth – Lambeth, located in the southern district, is the 6th most dangerous area in London with a reported number of 31,362 crimes. Lambeth reported the highest numbers for other theft. 

5th – Southwark – Southwark, located in the south of London with a population of 317,000. Southwark’s most iconic attractions include; The Shard, London Bridge and Shakespeare’s Globe which all attract millions of tourists to the city per year. It was voted the 5th most dangerous area in London with a reported number of 31,379 crimes

4th – Tower Hamlets – Tower Hamlets, located in the heart of the city of London, with a large population of 320,000, was voted the 4th most dangerous area in London with a reported number of 31,621 crimes. Tower Hamlets recorded the highest number of bicycle theft.

3rd –  Croydon – Croydon was voted the 3rd most dangerous area in London with a recorded number of 31897 crimes. Croydon is located in the south of London with a population of 385,000. It has a host of famous stars that were born there, for example; Stormzy (grime rapper) and Kate Moss (model). Croydon was voted the most dangerous borough for violence and sexual offences.

2nd – Newham – Newham, situated in the eastern end of London, was voted the 2nd most dangerous area to live in London with a reported number of 32,828 crimes. Newham is notorious for drug-related offences and has the worst number for drug-related crimes.

1st – Westminister –  Westminister, is a borough situated in central London, with a population of 250,000. Westminister is home to the UK’s most famous buildings, such as; Westminster Abbey, the House of Parliament and Buckingham Palace. It was voted the most dangerous area in London with a reported number of 49,000 crimes.

Here is a table summary of the ‘top 10 most dangerous areas in London’

The Statistics show Westminster has the most crimes with the biggest crime rate which makes it the most dangerous area in London.

This could be due to its being situated around parliament and big attractions in the UK, with high amounts of tourism, crime rates are expected to be higher, however other factors such as a large police force being allocated to that specific area and CCTV coverage in key areas may make the area safer at times.

What Crimes Happen The Most In London?

London is a huge city, so there are plenty of types of crimes that occur in the capital. Although have to consider the total number of crimes per area, we have to take into account what type of crime is occurring.

In order for area to be rough and dangerous, violent crimes must be included, as they are the offences most likely to cause harm to others. The findings alter if we only compare violent crimes in the 10 boroughs mentioned above.

The results are based on Greater London’s Police Force’s figures gathered in 2021

Conclusion

London, like any other city, has safer and more dangerous regions and so security should not be overlooked.

Businesses understandably desire to purchase security guards so that they or their employees do not become victims of crime. Hiring a security firm is one approach to lower your chances of being targeted by crooks.

A security company might install CCTV cameras to monitor the premises or employ security personnel to discourage possible thieves. Security companies may also assess your present security measures and give advice on how to make your organisation safer.

To stay up to date with all the latest London blogs, check out our news page where you can find articles like; ‘Manchester vs London – Which is Safer?’  or ‘Retail Businesses In London At Risk – How Can They Be Protected?’

In addition to this, why not take a look at our Youtube Channel where we share various security tips, facts and statics you may find interesting such as How To Secure A Hotel Door?