Crime in Arsenal: statistics, rates and trends
2,225 crimes were recorded in Arsenal in the 12 months to August 2026, 160.2 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 3% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (533), anti-social behaviour (360) and theft from the person (314) made up 54% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 366th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Arsenal | Islington | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 2,225 | 41,297 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 160.2 | 185.2 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +3% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 13,885 | 223,024 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Arsenal peaked in the year to August 2024 (2,231 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2022 (1,770). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 13%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 2,225 | 160.2 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 2,153 | 155.1 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 2,231 | 160.7 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 2,094 | 150.8 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,770 | 127.5 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,942 | 139.9 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 2,171 | 156.4 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 2,165 | 155.9 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,972 | 142.0 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 174 |
| July 2026 | 176 |
| June 2026 | 226 |
| May 2026 | 356 |
| April 2026 | 159 |
| March 2026 | 151 |
| February 2026 | 142 |
| January 2026 | 147 |
| December 2025 | 146 |
| November 2025 | 191 |
| October 2025 | 203 |
| September 2025 | 154 |
Compared with England and Wales, Arsenal recorded notably more theft from the person (13.4 times the national rate), robbery (4.9 times the national rate) and bicycle theft (4.5 times the national rate), and notably less criminal damage and arson (43% below) and other crime (32% below). On the year before, shoplifting rose from 86 to 125 and public order rose from 120 to 170, while criminal damage and arson fell from 80 to 53 and vehicle crime fell from 116 to 81.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 533 | 38.4 | 34.2 | +16% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 360 | 25.9 | 15.4 | -8% |
| Theft from the person | 314 | 22.6 | 1.7 | -5% |
| Drugs | 178 | 12.8 | 3.3 | +8% |
| Public order | 170 | 12.2 | 6.7 | +42% |
| Other theft | 168 | 12.1 | 6.4 | -7% |
| Shoplifting | 125 | 9.0 | 8.5 | +45% |
| Robbery | 92 | 6.6 | 1.4 | +14% |
| Vehicle crime | 81 | 5.8 | 5.0 | -30% |
| Burglary | 65 | 4.7 | 3.6 | -4% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 53 | 3.8 | 6.7 | -34% |
| Bicycle theft | 52 | 3.7 | 0.8 | +13% |
| Other crime | 20 | 1.4 | 2.1 | -17% |
| Possession of weapons | 14 | 1.0 | 1.0 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
4 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Arsenal; the highest is Finsbury Park (238.8 per 1,000) and the lowest Tufnell Park (99.2).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Arsenal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highbury | 1,494 | 109.8 | -31% |
| Finsbury Park | 3,494 | 238.8 | +49% |
| Holloway | 1,918 | 176.8 | +10% |
| Laycock | 3,095 | 180.8 | +13% |
| Tollington | 3,136 | 215.3 | +34% |
| Tufnell Park | 1,240 | 99.2 | -38% |
| Mildmay | 1,352 | 99.4 | -38% |
| Canonbury | 1,296 | 112.8 | -30% |
The 10 locations below account for 59% of the crime recorded in Arsenal over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Rock Street” (349).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Rock Street | 349 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 272 |
| On or near Supermarket | 157 |
| On or near Slaney Place | 108 |
| On or near Further/Higher Educational Building | 99 |
| On or near Rollit Street | 77 |
| On or near Drayton Park | 75 |
| On or near Dunford Road | 68 |
| On or near Hurlock Street | 58 |
| On or near Jackson Road | 48 |
Of the 1,865 crimes in Arsenal with a recorded outcome, 48% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.6% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 360 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 902 | 48.4% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 476 | 25.5% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 177 | 9.5% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 102 | 5.5% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 86 | 4.6% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 58 | 3.1% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 27 | 1.4% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 12 | 0.6% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 10 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 9 | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 5 | 0.3% | 0.1% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Arsenal has an estimated population of 13,885 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more households without a car (67%, against 23%), more social housing (33%, against 17%) and more residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (64%, against 34%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Arsenal average decile 4.8 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Arsenal | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 15.3% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 6.9% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 69.8% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 5.0% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 7.0% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 8.2% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 63.5% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 11.2% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 67.4% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 31.9% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 32.6% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 35.3% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.8 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 12.9% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Arsenal a safe place to live?
Arsenal recorded 160.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 366th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were theft from the person and robbery.
What is the most common crime in Arsenal?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 533 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (360).
Is crime in Arsenal going up or down?
Recorded crime in Arsenal was up 3% on the year before: 2,225 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 2,153 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Arsenal?
About 13,885 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 6.9% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Arsenal?
Arsenal is policed by Metropolitan Police.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.