Crime in Bexley district: statistics, rates and trends
20,080 crimes were recorded in Bexley district in the 12 months to August 2026, 78.3 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 2% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Bexley district at a glance
- Crime trends in Bexley district
- Types of crime in Bexley district
- Home Office recorded crime in Bexley district
- Bexley district compared with nearby districts
- Areas within Bexley district
- Streets with the most crime in Bexley district
- What happened after crimes were reported in Bexley district
- Demographics of Bexley district
- Fly-tipping in Bexley
- Questions about crime in Bexley district
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (6,210), anti-social behaviour (4,233) and vehicle crime (1,662) made up 60% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 187th of the 302 districts covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Bexley district | London | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 20,080 | 1,126,877 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 78.3 | 124.0 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +2% | -2% | -1% |
| Population | 256,434 | 9,089,736 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Bexley district peaked in the year to August 2020 (22,852 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (19,171). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 5%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 20,080 | 78.3 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 19,679 | 76.7 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 20,585 | 80.3 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 19,844 | 77.4 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 20,192 | 78.7 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 20,743 | 80.9 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 22,852 | 89.1 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 21,243 | 82.8 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 19,171 | 74.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 1,702 |
| July 2026 | 1,900 |
| June 2026 | 1,846 |
| May 2026 | 1,736 |
| April 2026 | 1,624 |
| March 2026 | 1,706 |
| February 2026 | 1,476 |
| January 2026 | 1,516 |
| December 2025 | 1,593 |
| November 2025 | 1,613 |
| October 2025 | 1,727 |
| September 2025 | 1,641 |
Compared with England and Wales, Bexley district recorded notably more vehicle crime (30% above the national rate), and notably less bicycle theft (72% below) and possession of weapons (51% below). On the year before, possession of weapons rose from 87 to 123 and robbery rose from 325 to 410, while criminal damage and arson fell from 1,621 to 1,029 and theft from the person fell from 292 to 243.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 6,210 | 24.2 | 34.2 | +8% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 4,233 | 16.5 | 15.4 | +17% |
| Vehicle crime | 1,662 | 6.5 | 5.0 | -9% |
| Shoplifting | 1,648 | 6.4 | 8.5 | -9% |
| Public order | 1,282 | 5.0 | 6.7 | +16% |
| Other theft | 1,225 | 4.8 | 6.4 | +1% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,029 | 4.0 | 6.7 | -37% |
| Drugs | 874 | 3.4 | 3.3 | -5% |
| Burglary | 801 | 3.1 | 3.6 | +12% |
| Robbery | 410 | 1.6 | 1.4 | +26% |
| Other crime | 280 | 1.1 | 2.1 | -11% |
| Theft from the person | 243 | 0.9 | 1.7 | -17% |
| Possession of weapons | 123 | 0.5 | 1.0 | +41% |
| Bicycle theft | 60 | 0.2 | 0.8 | -14% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
15,432 crimes, excluding fraud, were recorded by the police in Bexley district in the year ending March 2026, according to the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics. That is 60.2 per 1,000 residents, lower than the England and Wales rate of 83.2. Among the 272 districts of England and Wales with a figure for that year, Bexley district had the 82nd lowest rate (the street-level ranking above is among the 302 districts with street-level pages on this site, over the 12 months to August 2026).
Of the crimes recorded in the Metropolitan Police area in the year ending March 2026, 5.5% were not assigned to a district. Those crimes are counted in the force and England and Wales totals but in no district, so the figure for Bexley district is an undercount.
No change on the year or longer series is given for Bexley district: comparable figures start in the year ending March 2026, because the share of crimes in the Metropolitan Police area not assigned to a district moved from 4.3% in the year ending March 2025 to 5.5% in the year ending March 2026, which changes district totals without any change in crime.
Offences recorded in Bexley district, the year ending March 2026
The largest category was violence without injury, with 2,324 offences (15% of the total). Relative to England and Wales, rates were highest for trafficking of drugs (1.5 times the national rate) and robbery of business property (1.3 times the national rate). Rates were lowest relative to the national rate for bicycle theft (0.31 times), theft from the person (0.44 times) and arson (0.49 times).
| Offence | Offences | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence without injury | 2,324 | 9.1 | 13.2 | 0.69 |
| Vehicle offences | 1,579 | 6.2 | 5.0 | 1.22 |
| Criminal damage | 1,553 | 6.1 | 6.8 | 0.89 |
| Stalking and harassment | 1,495 | 5.8 | 10.1 | 0.58 |
| Violence with injury | 1,447 | 5.6 | 8.1 | 0.69 |
| Shoplifting | 1,376 | 5.4 | 8.1 | 0.66 |
| Public order offences | 1,135 | 4.4 | 7.0 | 0.64 |
| Other theft offences | 1,106 | 4.3 | 6.5 | 0.66 |
| Possession of drugs | 590 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 0.92 |
| Residential burglary | 560 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 0.88 |
| Trafficking of drugs | 441 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 1.45 |
| Other sexual offences | 360 | 1.4 | 2.3 | 0.62 |
| Miscellaneous crimes against society | 277 | 1.1 | 2.1 | 0.51 |
| Rape | 208 | 0.81 | 1.2 | 0.67 |
| Theft from the person | 201 | 0.78 | 1.8 | 0.44 |
| Non-residential burglary | 199 | 0.78 | 1.1 | 0.69 |
| Robbery of personal property | 182 | 0.71 | 0.91 | 0.78 |
| Robbery of business property | 154 | 0.60 | 0.47 | 1.26 |
| Possession of weapons | 126 | 0.49 | 1.00 | 0.49 |
| Bicycle theft | 68 | 0.27 | 0.85 | 0.31 |
| Arson | 48 | 0.19 | 0.38 | 0.49 |
| Death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving | 3 | 0.01 | 0.03 | 0.34 |
| Homicide | 0 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.00 |
Districts in the Metropolitan Police area, the year ending March 2026
Of the 32 districts in the Metropolitan Police area with a figure for the year ending March 2026, Bexley district had the 4th lowest rate.
| District | Offences | Per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westminster | 74,649 | 355.5 | 4.27 |
| Camden | 37,587 | 173.3 | 2.08 |
| Kensington and Chelsea | 21,071 | 145.8 | 1.75 |
| Islington | 29,264 | 131.2 | 1.58 |
| Southwark | 38,013 | 120.8 | 1.45 |
| Hackney | 31,080 | 116.5 | 1.40 |
| Lambeth | 36,243 | 114.4 | 1.37 |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | 20,196 | 107.0 | 1.29 |
| Tower Hamlets | 35,377 | 106.6 | 1.28 |
| Haringey | 27,592 | 104.6 | 1.26 |
| Newham | 38,957 | 104.0 | 1.25 |
| Lewisham | 28,390 | 94.2 | 1.13 |
| Hillingdon | 30,158 | 91.6 | 1.10 |
| Greenwich | 27,035 | 90.3 | 1.08 |
| Brent | 31,528 | 89.3 | 1.07 |
| Hounslow | 26,167 | 87.4 | 1.05 |
| Enfield | 27,907 | 85.2 | 1.02 |
| Barking and Dagenham | 19,592 | 84.2 | 1.01 |
| Ealing | 31,075 | 80.5 | 0.97 |
| Croydon | 32,900 | 80.4 | 0.97 |
| Waltham Forest | 22,436 | 80.2 | 0.96 |
| Wandsworth | 25,804 | 76.4 | 0.92 |
| Redbridge | 23,856 | 74.3 | 0.89 |
| Bromley | 23,157 | 69.1 | 0.83 |
| Havering | 18,875 | 68.3 | 0.82 |
| Barnet | 27,467 | 67.8 | 0.81 |
| Kingston upon Thames | 11,533 | 66.8 | 0.80 |
| Sutton | 12,926 | 60.3 | 0.72 |
| Bexley | 15,432 | 60.2 | 0.72 |
| Harrow | 16,108 | 59.5 | 0.71 |
| Merton | 12,952 | 59.3 | 0.71 |
| Richmond upon Thames | 11,267 | 57.3 | 0.69 |
Source: Home Office police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables (released 23 July 2026), gov.uk, Open Government Licence v3.0. Financial years, excluding fraud; how they differ from the street-level figures: methodology.
Every one of the 8 nearest districts has a higher crime rate than Bexley district.
| District | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Bexley district |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenwich | 33,919 | 113.2 | +45% |
| Dartford | 13,370 | 107.0 | +37% |
| Barking and Dagenham | 24,377 | 104.7 | +34% |
| Newham | 50,823 | 135.7 | +73% |
| Bromley | 29,136 | 86.9 | +11% |
| Lewisham | 36,926 | 122.6 | +57% |
| Havering | 24,310 | 88.0 | +12% |
| Tower Hamlets | 48,202 | 145.2 | +85% |
Of the 18 areas within Bexley district, Bexleyheath had the highest crime rate (148.1 per 1,000) and Blackfen & Lamorbey the lowest (43.6), 3 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bexleyheath | Neighbourhood | 16,459 | 2,437 | 148.1 |
| Erith | Neighbourhood | 16,952 | 2,006 | 118.3 |
| Slade Green & Northend | Neighbourhood | 14,760 | 1,459 | 98.8 |
| Thamesmead East | Neighbourhood | 16,280 | 1,581 | 97.1 |
| Belvedere | Neighbourhood | 18,177 | 1,744 | 95.9 |
| Crayford | Neighbourhood | 16,898 | 1,479 | 87.5 |
| Bexley | Town | 256,434 | 20,080 | 78.3 |
| Sidcup | Neighbourhood | 16,214 | 1,266 | 78.1 |
| Falconwood & Welling | Neighbourhood | 17,574 | 1,282 | 72.9 |
| Northumberland Heath | Neighbourhood | 11,444 | 827 | 72.3 |
| Crook Log | Neighbourhood | 17,550 | 1,191 | 67.9 |
| St Mary's & St James | Neighbourhood | 12,026 | 805 | 66.9 |
| Longlands | Neighbourhood | 10,798 | 703 | 65.1 |
| West Heath | Neighbourhood | 14,376 | 695 | 48.3 |
| Blendon & Penhill | Neighbourhood | 15,442 | 725 | 46.9 |
| East Wickham | Neighbourhood | 16,961 | 790 | 46.6 |
| Barnehurst | Neighbourhood | 9,884 | 452 | 45.7 |
| Blackfen & Lamorbey | Neighbourhood | 14,639 | 638 | 43.6 |
The 10 locations below account for 20% of the crime recorded in Bexley district over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (1,144).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 1,144 |
| On or near Parking Area | 925 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 477 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 456 |
| On or near Police Station | 212 |
| On or near Welling High Street | 193 |
| On or near Station Road North | 178 |
| On or near Wrotham Road | 172 |
| On or near Tavy Bridge | 134 |
| On or near Further/Higher Educational Building | 123 |
Of the 15,847 crimes in Bexley district with a recorded outcome, 40% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.2% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 4,233 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 6,378 | 40.2% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 5,201 | 32.8% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 1,824 | 11.5% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 880 | 5.6% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 665 | 4.2% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 322 | 2.0% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 287 | 1.8% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 179 | 1.1% | 1.3% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 39 | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Offender given a caution | 33 | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 21 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 16 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Bexley district has an estimated population of 256,434 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has less private renting (15%, against 20%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Bexley district average decile 6.6 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Bexley district | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 20.2% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 16.6% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 60.2% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.8% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 20.0% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 7.2% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 31.6% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 18.2% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 22.4% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 70.0% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 14.7% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 15.3% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.6 | 5.5 (England) |
3,787 fly-tipping incidents were recorded in Bexley in 2024/25 (14.8 per 1,000 residents, against 21.1 across the councils in England that count all incidents), according to the council's return to Defra. Fly-tipping is not in the police figures on this page: fly-tipping in Bexley has the council's figures by place, type of waste and size, and its enforcement actions and fines.
Is Bexley district a safe place to live?
Bexley district recorded 78.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 187th of the 302 districts on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were vehicle crime.
What is the most common crime in Bexley district?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 6,210 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (4,233).
Is crime in Bexley district going up or down?
Recorded crime in Bexley district was up 2% on the year before: 20,080 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 19,679 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Bexley district?
About 256,434 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 17% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Bexley district?
Bexley district is policed by Metropolitan Police.
How many crimes did the police record in Bexley district in the year ending March 2026?
15,432 crimes, excluding fraud, in the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics: 60.2 per 1,000 residents, against 83.2 across England and Wales.
Which offences are more common in Bexley district than across England and Wales?
Relative to the national rate, the most over-represented categories in the year ending March 2026 were trafficking of drugs (441 offences, 1.5 times the England and Wales rate) and robbery of business property (154 offences, 1.3 times the England and Wales rate).
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.