Crime in City of London
Recorded crime in City of London is 5.7 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has risen 2%. The biggest share of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
15,111 residents in 6 neighbourhoods. 40% live in busy town or city centres.
- Safety in the UK
- 1/10High crime
- Safety in the world
- 2/10High crime
- Living
- 9.3/10Excellent
- 5-year change
- +2%more crimes
Crime over 5 years
Up 2% in 5 years Recorded crimes in City of London, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 5.7× the England and Wales average. 584 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 35% of the harm here
- Other theft: 17% of the harm here
- Robbery: 14% of the harm here
Anti-social behaviour: 56 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
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 | 12.1 |
| Burglary | 22.3 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 103.7 |
| Drugs | 29.7 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 4.0 |
| Other crime | 7.5 |
| Other theft | 143.7 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 89.2 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 13.2 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 20.4 |
| Public order | 41.3 |
| Bicycle theft | 24.1 |
| Shoplifting | 72.5 |
What crimes are recorded in City of London
579.7 crimes per 1,000 residents were recorded in City of London in 2025/26 (England and Wales: 83.2).
Our total for April 2025 to March 2026: 9,822. Home Office recorded crime: 8,760 (12% apart).
Crimes recorded by the police, April 2025 to March 2026. Source: Home Office, police recorded crime by community safety partnership.
| Type | Crimes in 2025/26 | Per 1,000 residents | Change on 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cars stolen | 24 | 1.6 | Down 14% |
| Cars broken into | 75 | 5.0 | Down 5% |
| Vehicle tampering | 3 | - | - |
| Vandalism to homes | 5 | - | - |
| Vandalism to other buildings | 146 | 9.7 | Down 34% |
| Vandalism to vehicles | 55 | 3.6 | Down 2% |
| Arson | 11 | 0.73 | - |
| Burglary of homes | 27 | 1.8 | Up 50% |
| Burglary of businesses | 442 | 29.3 | Up 48% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 0 | - | - |
| Carrying a knife or blade | 36 | 2.4 | Down 23% |
| Carrying other weapons (including guns) | 23 | 1.5 | Down 23% |
| Robbery of people | 102 | 6.8 | Down 18% |
| Robbery of businesses | 150 | 9.9 | Up 317% |
| Violence with injury | 405 | 26.8 | Down 8% |
| Violence without injury | 801 | 53.0 | Down 4% |
| Stalking and harassment | 144 | 9.5 | Down 6% |
| Sexual offences | 148 | 9.8 | Down 27% |
| Shoplifting | 1,428 | 94.5 | Down 7% |
| Bicycle theft | 305 | 20.2 | Up 45% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 1,077 | 71.3 | Down 26% |
| Drug dealing | 237 | 15.7 | Up 103% |
| Drug possession | 346 | 22.9 | Down 25% |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare. These are council-area figures: police.uk street-level data, used for the map and the Safety score, only has the broad categories, and no source publishes murders or stabbings by street.
City of London Police area: 42 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in 2025/26 (59 the year before). This covers the whole police force area, not only City of London.
Source: Home Office, police recorded knife crime by police force.
How often crimes lead to a charge
In City of London, 9% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other theft | 2,213 | 6% | 0% | 7% | 68% | 19% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 1,808 | 1% | 0% | 2% | 77% | 20% |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 1,689 | 11% | 3% | 39% | 23% | 24% |
| Shoplifting | 1,584 | 17% | 4% | 14% | 47% | 17% |
| Public order | 713 | 10% | 3% | 36% | 24% | 27% |
| Burglary | 422 | 18% | 1% | 12% | 55% | 15% |
| Drugs | 384 | 25% | 27% | 21% | 6% | 21% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 329 | 7% | 2% | 20% | 51% | 20% |
| Bicycle theft | 261 | 3% | 0% | 3% | 79% | 15% |
| Robbery | 261 | 7% | 0% | 19% | 49% | 24% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 128 | 3% | 0% | 5% | 73% | 20% |
| Other crime | 95 | 14% | 12% | 18% | 29% | 27% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 73 | 29% | 7% | 33% | 3% | 29% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 20% of these crimes are still open, so the final figures may be a little higher.
Towns and cities in City of London
Postcode districts in City of London
Questions about crime in City of London
- Is City of London a safe place to live?
- City of London scores 1 out of 10 for safety (high crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. About 40% of residents here live in busy city or town centres, where crime per resident looks far higher than the risk to someone living there, because many people visit but few live there. This score includes those centres, so it is probably harsher than for the residential parts.
- Is crime going up or down in City of London?
- Up 2% over 5 years, from 9,162 recorded crimes a year to 9,328.
- What is the most common crime in City of London?
- The most common recorded crime is other theft, about 144 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 often does crime lead to a charge in City of London?
- In City of London, 9% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 51% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in City of London?
- Of 422 burglaries reported in City of London between September 2024 and August 2025, 18% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 55% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in City of London?
- In City of London, the police recorded 24 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 1.6 per 1,000 residents, down 14% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in City of London?
- 206 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in City of London in 2025/26, 13.6 per 1,000 residents, 2.8 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in City of London last year?
- No homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in City of London in 2025/26, against 0 the year before.