Crime in Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood: statistics, rates and trends
1,360 crimes were recorded in Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood in the 12 months to August 2026, 79.6 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and almost unchanged on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood at a glance
- Crime trends in Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood
- Types of crime in Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood
- Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood
- What happened after crimes were reported in Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood
- Demographics of Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood
- Questions about crime in Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (415), anti-social behaviour (303) and vehicle crime (145) made up 63% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1,864th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood | Croydon | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,360 | 42,232 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 79.6 | 103.2 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | 0% | -3% | -1% |
| Population | 17,089 | 409,342 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood peaked in the year to August 2020 (1,701 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (1,295). 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 | 1,360 | 79.6 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,365 | 79.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,360 | 79.6 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,295 | 75.8 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,346 | 78.8 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,560 | 91.3 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,701 | 99.5 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,337 | 78.2 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,295 | 75.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 102 |
| July 2026 | 119 |
| June 2026 | 99 |
| May 2026 | 130 |
| April 2026 | 116 |
| March 2026 | 124 |
| February 2026 | 96 |
| January 2026 | 130 |
| December 2025 | 95 |
| November 2025 | 123 |
| October 2025 | 100 |
| September 2025 | 126 |
Compared with England and Wales, Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood recorded notably more vehicle crime (71% above the national rate) and robbery (55% above the national rate), and notably less shoplifting (63% below) and criminal damage and arson (48% below). On the year before, shoplifting rose from 27 to 53, while other theft fell from 93 to 72 and criminal damage and arson fell from 75 to 60.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 415 | 24.3 | 34.2 | 0% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 303 | 17.7 | 15.4 | -1% |
| Vehicle crime | 145 | 8.5 | 5.0 | -4% |
| Public order | 91 | 5.3 | 6.7 | +6% |
| Burglary | 73 | 4.3 | 3.6 | +4% |
| Other theft | 72 | 4.2 | 6.4 | -23% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 60 | 3.5 | 6.7 | -20% |
| Shoplifting | 53 | 3.1 | 8.5 | +96% |
| Drugs | 44 | 2.6 | 3.3 | -19% |
| Robbery | 36 | 2.1 | 1.4 | +12% |
| Theft from the person | 32 | 1.9 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Other crime | 19 | 1.1 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 12 | 0.7 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 5 | 0.3 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
7 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood; the highest is Selhurst (139.8 per 1,000) and the lowest Norbury Park (64.6).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norbury Park | 608 | 64.6 | -19% |
| Thornton Heath | 1,954 | 107.7 | +35% |
| South Norwood | 1,985 | 105.6 | +33% |
| Bensham Manor | 1,492 | 83.3 | +5% |
| Norbury & Pollards Hill | 1,439 | 102.2 | +28% |
| Woodside | 1,559 | 90.0 | +13% |
| Selhurst | 1,676 | 139.8 | +76% |
| West Thornton | 2,809 | 139.7 | +76% |
The 10 locations below account for 29% of the crime recorded in Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Church Road” and “Gatestone Road” (56 each).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Church Road | 56 |
| On or near Gatestone Road | 56 |
| On or near Supermarket | 51 |
| On or near College Green | 50 |
| On or near Haynes Lane | 43 |
| On or near St Aubyn'S Road | 38 |
| On or near Paxton Mews | 29 |
| On or near Essex Mews | 27 |
| On or near Bramble Close | 26 |
| On or near Courtney Close | 25 |
Of the 1,057 crimes in Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood with a recorded outcome, 44% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.5% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 303 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 460 | 43.5% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 304 | 28.8% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 137 | 13.0% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 64 | 6.1% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 37 | 3.5% | 5.2% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 20 | 1.9% | 1.3% |
| Court result unavailable | 15 | 1.4% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 14 | 1.3% | 3.1% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 3 | 0.3% | 0.1% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 1 | 0.1% | 0.6% |
Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood has an estimated population of 17,089 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more households without a car (38%, against 23%), more residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (52%, against 34%) and fewer retired residents (14%, against 22%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood average decile 5.2 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.3% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 12.8% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 66.0% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.7% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 13.7% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.6% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 52.0% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 12.1% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 38.4% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 56.1% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 17.9% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 25.9% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.2 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood a safe place to live?
Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood recorded 79.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 1,864th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were vehicle crime and robbery.
What is the most common crime in Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 415 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (303).
Is crime in Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood going up or down?
Recorded crime in Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood was almost unchanged on the year before: 1,360 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,365 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood?
About 17,089 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 13% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood?
Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood 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.