Crime in Chaucer: statistics, rates and trends
3,588 crimes were recorded in Chaucer in the 12 months to August 2026, 213.9 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 9% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Theft from the person (844), violence and sexual offences (672) and anti-social behaviour (469) made up 55% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 169th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Chaucer | Southwark | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 3,588 | 49,295 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 213.9 | 156.6 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +9% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 16,773 | 314,786 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the most recorded crime in Chaucer of any year here (3,588 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 21%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 3,588 | 213.9 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 3,302 | 196.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 3,099 | 184.8 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 3,243 | 193.3 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 2,662 | 158.7 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 2,701 | 161.0 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 3,198 | 190.7 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 3,329 | 198.5 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 2,958 | 176.4 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 282 |
| July 2026 | 312 |
| June 2026 | 320 |
| May 2026 | 292 |
| April 2026 | 303 |
| March 2026 | 263 |
| February 2026 | 253 |
| January 2026 | 278 |
| December 2025 | 319 |
| November 2025 | 329 |
| October 2025 | 348 |
| September 2025 | 289 |
Compared with England and Wales, Chaucer recorded notably more theft from the person (29.9 times the national rate), robbery (10.3 times the national rate) and other theft (3.7 times the national rate), and notably less criminal damage and arson (41% below) and other crime (35% below). On the year before, shoplifting rose from 218 to 330 and robbery rose from 161 to 235, while criminal damage and arson fell from 107 to 67 and other crime fell from 36 to 23.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theft from the person | 844 | 50.3 | 1.7 | +18% |
| Violence and sexual offences | 672 | 40.1 | 34.2 | +4% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 469 | 28.0 | 15.4 | -13% |
| Other theft | 397 | 23.7 | 6.4 | +37% |
| Shoplifting | 330 | 19.7 | 8.5 | +51% |
| Robbery | 235 | 14.0 | 1.4 | +46% |
| Public order | 159 | 9.5 | 6.7 | +15% |
| Drugs | 133 | 7.9 | 3.3 | -8% |
| Burglary | 123 | 7.3 | 3.6 | -30% |
| Vehicle crime | 72 | 4.3 | 5.0 | +18% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 67 | 4.0 | 6.7 | -37% |
| Bicycle theft | 47 | 2.8 | 0.8 | -13% |
| Other crime | 23 | 1.4 | 2.1 | -36% |
| Possession of weapons | 17 | 1.0 | 1.0 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
4 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Chaucer; the highest is Borough & Bankside (455.7 per 1,000) and the lowest South Bermondsey (115.7).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Chaucer |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Walworth | 3,015 | 220.7 | +3% |
| London Bridge & West Bermondsey | 3,883 | 283.4 | +32% |
| Borough & Bankside | 5,164 | 455.7 | +113% |
| St George's | 1,599 | 206.6 | -3% |
| Faraday | 3,138 | 214.7 | 0% |
| Newington | 2,473 | 154.2 | -28% |
| South Bermondsey | 2,070 | 115.7 | -46% |
| North Bermondsey | 2,300 | 140.8 | -34% |
The 10 locations below account for 51% of the crime recorded in Chaucer over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Newington Causeway” (323).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Newington Causeway | 323 |
| On or near Elephant Road | 280 |
| On or near Further/Higher Educational Building | 269 |
| On or near Bermondsey Square | 176 |
| On or near Supermarket | 175 |
| On or near A2198 | 148 |
| On or near Tarn Street | 138 |
| On or near Long Lane | 131 |
| On or near County Street | 104 |
| On or near Great Dover Street | 85 |
Of the 3,119 crimes in Chaucer with a recorded outcome, 63% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.0% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 469 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,980 | 63.5% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 516 | 16.5% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 203 | 6.5% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 156 | 5.0% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 109 | 3.5% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 66 | 2.1% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 45 | 1.4% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 19 | 0.6% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 10 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 6 | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 5 | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 4 | 0.1% | 0.1% |
Chaucer has an estimated population of 16,773 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more households without a car (72%, against 23%), more students (22.0%, against 7.9%) and more social housing (42%, against 17%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Chaucer average decile 4.8 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Chaucer | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 13.2% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 5.6% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 62.1% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 6.0% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 5.4% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 22.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 54.9% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 11.5% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 71.8% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 21.8% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 41.8% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 36.2% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.8 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Chaucer a safe place to live?
Chaucer recorded 213.9 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 169th 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 Chaucer?
Theft from the person was the most common category, with 844 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by violence and sexual offences (672).
Is crime in Chaucer going up or down?
Recorded crime in Chaucer was up 9% on the year before: 3,588 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 3,302 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Chaucer?
About 16,773 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 5.6% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Chaucer?
Chaucer 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.