Crime in City of Westminster
Recorded crime in City of Westminster is about the Westminster average and 4.0 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has risen 10%. The biggest share of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
Within 3 km of the centre of City of Westminster: about 239,149 residents in 199 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 1/10High crime
- Living
- 9.5/10Excellent
- 5-year change
- +10%more crimes
- vs the council
- 1.0×the Westminster average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 3 km of the centre of City of Westminster.
Crime over 5 years
Up 10% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 3 km of City of Westminster, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: about the Westminster average (4.0× the England and Wales average). 356 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 28% of the harm here
- Robbery: 25% of the harm here
- Other theft: 14% of the harm here
Anti-social behaviour: 69 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Westminster (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Westminster council area, not only City of Westminster. Source: Home Office, police recorded crime by community safety partnership.
Metropolitan Police did not assign 5.4% of the crimes it recorded in 2025/26 to a council area, so these figures are lower than the true count.
| Type | Crimes in 2025/26 | Per 1,000 residents | Change on 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cars stolen | 586 | 2.8 | About the same |
| Cars broken into | 2,233 | 10.6 | Down 30% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 1,271 | 6.1 | Down 10% |
| Burglary of homes | 855 | 4.1 | Down 6% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 3 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in SW1A
In SW1A, the postcode district at the centre of City of Westminster, 4% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%).
- Charged or summonsed
- Caution or other action
- Suspect found, not prosecuted
- No suspect identified
- Still open
Show as a table
| Type | Crimes | Charged or summonsed | Caution or other action | Suspect found, not prosecuted | No suspect identified | Still open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 688 | 1% | 0% | 3% | 93% | 4% |
| Other theft | 371 | 0% | 0% | 6% | 88% | 5% |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 304 | 9% | 2% | 35% | 42% | 12% |
| Shoplifting | 91 | 14% | 3% | 16% | 60% | 5% |
| Robbery | 90 | 4% | 0% | 14% | 74% | 7% |
| Public order | 88 | 7% | 0% | 30% | 43% | 20% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 53 | 15% | 2% | 13% | 60% | 9% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 52 | 0% | 0% | 4% | 92% | 4% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 7% of these crimes are still open, so the final figures may be a little higher.
Crime by type
Recorded crimes per 1,000 residents per year, most serious first, not counting anti-social behaviour.
| Type | Per 1,000 a year |
|---|---|
| Robbery | 15.5 |
| Burglary | 15.3 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 57.6 |
| Drugs | 13.4 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 1.9 |
| Other crime | 2.2 |
| Other theft | 83.9 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 84.8 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 17.0 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 11.1 |
| Public order | 17.7 |
| Bicycle theft | 9.1 |
| Shoplifting | 26.6 |
Postcode districts in City of Westminster
Nearby towns
Council: Westminster
Questions about crime in City of Westminster
- Is City of Westminster a safe place to live?
- City of Westminster scores 1 out of 10 for safety (high crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is about the Westminster average.
- Is crime going up or down in City of Westminster?
- Up 10% over 5 years, from 82,941 recorded crimes a year to 91,091.
- What is the most common crime in City of Westminster?
- The most common recorded crime is theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching), about 85 per 1,000 residents a year. The most harm, weighted by how serious each crime is, comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences).
- How does crime in City of Westminster compare with Westminster?
- Crime severity in City of Westminster is about the Westminster average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in City of Westminster?
- In SW1A, the postcode district at the centre of City of Westminster, 4% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 74% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many cars are stolen in City of Westminster?
- In Westminster, the council area City of Westminster is in, the police recorded 586 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 2.8 per 1,000 residents, about the same as the year before.
- Is vandalism common in City of Westminster?
- 1,271 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in Westminster, the council area City of Westminster is in, 6.1 per 1,000 residents, 1.3 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in City of Westminster last year?
- 3 homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in Westminster, the council area City of Westminster is in, against 6 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.