SouthwarkCouncil area
Crime in Southwark
Recorded crime in Southwark is 1.6 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has risen 18%. The biggest share of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences. Police data to August 2026.
314,786 residents in 173 neighbourhoods. 2% live in busy town or city centres.
- Safety
- 2/10High crime
- Living
- 9.3/10Excellent
- 5-year change
- +18%more crimes
Crime over 5 years
Up 18% in 5 years Recorded crimes in Southwark, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.6× the England and Wales average. 114 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences: 37% of the harm here
- Robbery: 24% of the harm here
- Burglary: 17% of the harm here
Anti-social behaviour: 32 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 | 5.7 |
| Burglary | 8.5 |
| Violence and sexual offences | 29.5 |
| Drugs | 5.9 |
| Possession of weapons | 0.9 |
| Other crime | 1.1 |
| Other theft | 16.5 |
| Theft from the person | 13.2 |
| Vehicle crime | 9.4 |
| Criminal damage and arson | 6.4 |
| Public order | 6.8 |
| Bicycle theft | 4.3 |
| Shoplifting | 5.7 |
Postcode districts in Southwark
Questions about crime in Southwark
- Is Southwark a safe place to live?
- Southwark scores 2 out of 10 for safety (high crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Is crime going up or down in Southwark?
- Up 18% over 5 years, from 33,774 recorded crimes a year to 39,792.
- What is the most common crime in Southwark?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences, about 30 per 1,000 residents a year.