Crime rates in London are a major concern for many residents. The Metropolitan Police has recently released statistics that illustrate the increase in criminal offenses, which has caused alarm among a lot of people.
Let’s take a closer look to see what the crime rates in London are and which areas have the highest crime rates in London.
Does London Have A High Crime Rate?
London has a relatively high crime rate and the past few years have seen it increase significantly. In 2018 alone, it experienced a total of 136 homicides, which translated to a rate of 1.54 homicides per 100,000 people.
This is quite low when compared to major cities in the United States, although it definitely puts London way above other urban areas in England.
Homicide isn’t the most frequent criminal offense in London, though. According to figures from the Metropolitan Police, violence against a person was the most common crime committed in 2020, closely followed by theft and vehicle-related offenses.
The authorities also determined that 835,822 crimes were reported by the residents of London during the 2021/22 period.
What Parts of London Have the Highest Crime Rate?
London is a huge city but which area in London has the highest crime rate? Below we have listed a quick breakdown of crime rates in all four postcode areas of London.
North London Crime Rate
According to data mapping website Plumplot, North London sees 33 crimes reported per annum per 1,000 workday people. Unfortunately, this puts the area’s crime rate at 101% when compared to the national crime rate. Of the crimes reported by residents, 19.1% or 24,300 consists of offenses that can be considered as “violent crime.”
This number has reportedly increased by 5.8% when compared year-over-year from June 2020 to May 2021.
East London Crime Rate
According to data mapping website Plumplot, East London sees 31.5 crimes reported per annum per 1,000 workday people, which means that its crime rate is 97% compared to the national crime rate.
Violent crime is more common here, though; 19.2% of all crimes reported or 32,200 consists of crimes regarded by the authorities as “violent.”
South London Crime Rate
Based on figures released by the Metropolitan Police, a total of 7,457 crimes were reported between January 2021 and March 2021 by residents of South London. This puts the area’s crime rate at 19.1 crimes per 1,000 people.
Again, reports consist mostly of violent crime, with the authorities recording a staggering 2,609 instances of such.
West London Crime Rate
According to data mapping website Plumplot, West London sees 19.8 crimes reported per anum per 1,000 workday people, which means that its crime rate is 61% when compared to the national crime rate.
Similarly, of all criminal offenses reported by residents of West London, 16.6% or 15,800 consist of violent crime.
Is London Crime Increasing?
In July 2020, the Office for National Statistics released data showing that crimes in London increased by five times more than in the rest of the country the previous year.
This disturbing rise was reflected by several specific criminal offenses; for instance, the number of homicides in the city rose by 23% while killings that involved blades also grew by 28%. Meanwhile, theft and drug-related offenses both went up by 15% and 23%, respectively.
What Is The London Knife Crime Rate?
Based on an October 2020 briefing paper published by the House of Commons, London recorded the highest rate of knife-related crime in England between 2019 and 2020. During that period, 179 offenses involving a knife per 100,000 people were filed by the authorities.
This was a slight increase from the 169 knife-related crimes per 100,000 people recorded between 2018 and 2019.
London Crime Rates Map
A heat map released by the MyLondon website showed that Westminster had the highest crime rate in 2020, with a total of 192.8 crimes per 1,000 people. Other boroughs that exhibited a high crime rate were Croydon, with 85.2 crimes per 1,000 people, Southwark with 100.1, and Newham with 94.3.
London Crime Rates Graph
Based on a bar graph developed by data mapping website Plumpot, the violent crime rate in London is 27 crimes reported per year per 1,000 workday people. This places the city as the third-lowest out of ten different regions in England and Wales.
What Are The Bad Areas Of London?
According to an April 2021 article published on the MyLondon website, violent crime against a person is increasingly being committed in London. Many of these reportedly involve knives and fatal stabbings.
The article further used data released by the Metropolitan Police to determine that the following boroughs are the most dangerous areas in London, as of 2021:
- Croydon (South London)
- Newham (East London)
- Tower Hamlets (East London)
- Southwark (South London)
- Hackney (East London)
Interestingly enough, Croydon was considered the second-most dangerous London borough in 2020, after Westminster. However, its crime rate disturbingly increased this year after ten men were stabbed on the evening of February 5 in an incident that has since been referred to as a “horrific night of violence.”
Interested in knowing more about London? Head over to our news page so that you can keep updated with all the latest London news, and where you can find articles about if London is safer than Manchester, and whether London is a dangerous city.
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