Crime in Cheam: statistics, rates and trends
499 crimes were recorded in Cheam in the 12 months to August 2026, 46.7 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 3% on the year before.
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (181), anti-social behaviour (98) and other theft (41) made up 64% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 3,161st of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lowest quarter.
| Measure | Cheam | Sutton | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 499 | 16,530 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 46.7 | 77.1 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -3% | +3% | -1% |
| Population | 10,690 | 214,525 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Cheam of any year here (499 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 4%, in line with England and Wales.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 499 | 46.7 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 517 | 48.4 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 593 | 55.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 611 | 57.2 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 643 | 60.1 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 621 | 58.1 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 750 | 70.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 640 | 59.9 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 521 | 48.7 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 29 |
| July 2026 | 43 |
| June 2026 | 40 |
| May 2026 | 55 |
| April 2026 | 38 |
| March 2026 | 39 |
| February 2026 | 42 |
| January 2026 | 41 |
| December 2025 | 48 |
| November 2025 | 30 |
| October 2025 | 47 |
| September 2025 | 47 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and criminal damage and arson (69% below) and public order (61% below) were well below it. On the year before, violence and sexual offences rose from 141 to 181, while vehicle crime fell from 56 to 31 and criminal damage and arson fell from 35 to 22.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 181 | 16.9 | 34.2 | +28% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 98 | 9.2 | 15.4 | -9% |
| Other theft | 41 | 3.8 | 6.4 | +2% |
| Burglary | 35 | 3.3 | 3.6 | -31% |
| Vehicle crime | 31 | 2.9 | 5.0 | -45% |
| Public order | 28 | 2.6 | 6.7 | -10% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 22 | 2.1 | 6.7 | -37% |
| Drugs | 16 | 1.5 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Shoplifting | 13 | 1.2 | 8.5 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 10 | 0.9 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Other crime | 8 | 0.7 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Robbery | 8 | 0.7 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 5 | 0.5 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 3 | 0.3 | 1.0 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
7 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Cheam; the highest is Sutton Central (144.6 per 1,000) and the lowest Belmont, Sutton (43.9).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Cheam |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sutton West & East Cheam | 1,504 | 110.1 | +136% |
| Belmont | 558 | 43.9 | -6% |
| Sutton South | 759 | 66.1 | +42% |
| North Cheam | 617 | 61.6 | +32% |
| Sutton Central | 1,708 | 144.6 | +210% |
| Worcester Park South | 370 | 48.7 | +4% |
| Sutton North | 735 | 63.7 | +36% |
| Stonecot | 584 | 68.3 | +46% |
The 10 locations below account for 43% of the crime recorded in Cheam over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “High Street” (34).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near High Street | 34 |
| On or near Golf Side | 32 |
| On or near Chatsworth Road | 25 |
| On or near Roberts Close | 25 |
| On or near Malden Road | 23 |
| On or near Northfield Crescent | 23 |
| On or near Ewell Road | 15 |
| On or near Tudor Close | 15 |
| On or near The Broadway | 13 |
| On or near Burdon Lane | 10 |
Of the 401 crimes in Cheam with a recorded outcome, 42% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 1.2% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 98 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 168 | 41.9% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 124 | 30.9% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 49 | 12.2% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 30 | 7.5% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 11 | 2.7% | 1.3% |
| Local resolution | 7 | 1.7% | 3.1% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 5 | 1.2% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 3 | 0.7% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 2 | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 1 | 0.2% | 0.0% |
Cheam has an estimated population of 10,690 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has less social housing (3.9%, against 17.1%), more residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (46%, against 34%) and fewer households without a car (16%, against 23%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Cheam average decile 8.9 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Cheam | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.0% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 22.4% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 58.1% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.5% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 24.6% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 7.1% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 45.7% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 12.9% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 15.6% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 79.4% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 3.9% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 16.7% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 8.9 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Cheam a safe place to live?
Cheam recorded 46.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 3,161st of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Cheam?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 181 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (98).
Is crime in Cheam going up or down?
Recorded crime in Cheam was down 3% on the year before: 499 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 517 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Cheam?
About 10,690 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 22% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Cheam?
Cheam 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.