Crime in Downham: statistics, rates and trends
1,975 crimes were recorded in Downham in the 12 months to August 2026, 102.8 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and almost unchanged on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (709), anti-social behaviour (357) and vehicle crime (225) made up 65% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1,172nd of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Downham | Lewisham | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,975 | 36,926 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 102.8 | 122.6 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -1% | +3% | -1% |
| Population | 19,212 | 301,255 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Downham peaked in the year to August 2020 (2,231 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (1,652). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 20%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,975 | 102.8 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,994 | 103.8 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,989 | 103.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 2,117 | 110.2 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 2,055 | 107.0 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 2,085 | 108.5 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 2,231 | 116.1 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,928 | 100.4 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,652 | 86.0 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 155 |
| July 2026 | 173 |
| June 2026 | 193 |
| May 2026 | 161 |
| April 2026 | 178 |
| March 2026 | 160 |
| February 2026 | 161 |
| January 2026 | 152 |
| December 2025 | 160 |
| November 2025 | 166 |
| October 2025 | 164 |
| September 2025 | 152 |
Compared with England and Wales, Downham recorded notably more vehicle crime (2.4 times the national rate), robbery (2.1 times the national rate) and drugs (37% above the national rate), and notably less shoplifting (42% below) and criminal damage and arson (32% below). On the year before, shoplifting rose from 63 to 95 and other crime rose from 25 to 34, while criminal damage and arson fell from 155 to 88 and public order fell from 128 to 92.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 709 | 36.9 | 34.2 | +15% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 357 | 18.6 | 15.4 | -8% |
| Vehicle crime | 225 | 11.7 | 5.0 | +6% |
| Other theft | 114 | 5.9 | 6.4 | -2% |
| Shoplifting | 95 | 4.9 | 8.5 | +51% |
| Public order | 92 | 4.8 | 6.7 | -28% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 88 | 4.6 | 6.7 | -43% |
| Drugs | 86 | 4.5 | 3.3 | -25% |
| Burglary | 67 | 3.5 | 3.6 | -4% |
| Robbery | 56 | 2.9 | 1.4 | +12% |
| Other crime | 34 | 1.8 | 2.1 | +36% |
| Theft from the person | 24 | 1.2 | 1.7 | -23% |
| Possession of weapons | 22 | 1.1 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 6 | 0.3 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
3 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Downham; the highest is Rushey Green (186.5 per 1,000) and the lowest Lee Green (84.1).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Downham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catford South | 2,137 | 123.0 | +20% |
| Grove Park | 1,340 | 86.4 | -16% |
| Hither Green | 1,942 | 97.3 | -5% |
| Bellingham | 1,578 | 148.8 | +45% |
| Rushey Green | 3,824 | 186.5 | +81% |
| Lee Green | 1,235 | 84.1 | -18% |
| Perry Vale | 1,740 | 90.2 | -12% |
| Crofton Park | 1,373 | 89.3 | -13% |
The 10 locations below account for 30% of the crime recorded in Downham over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Camlan Road” (102).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Camlan Road | 102 |
| On or near Old Bromley Road | 73 |
| On or near Oakridge Lane | 64 |
| On or near Woodbury Gardens | 57 |
| On or near Bedivere Road | 56 |
| On or near Downham Lane | 54 |
| On or near Fieldside Road | 46 |
| On or near Parking Area | 46 |
| On or near Ashgrove Road | 45 |
| On or near Ivorydown | 45 |
Of the 1,618 crimes in Downham with a recorded outcome, 39% 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 357 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 626 | 38.7% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 566 | 35.0% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 206 | 12.7% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 99 | 6.1% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 57 | 3.5% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 29 | 1.8% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 16 | 1.0% | 1.3% |
| Local resolution | 14 | 0.9% | 3.1% |
| Offender given a caution | 3 | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Downham has an estimated population of 19,212 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more social housing (38%, against 17%), more unemployed residents (5.8%, against 3.4%) and more households without a car (37%, against 23%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Downham average decile 2.4 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Downham | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 21.2% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 11.4% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 57.9% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 5.8% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 12.6% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 9.8% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 31.8% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 22.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 36.5% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 43.7% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 37.8% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 18.4% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 2.4 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Downham a safe place to live?
Downham recorded 102.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 1,172nd 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 Downham?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 709 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (357).
Is crime in Downham going up or down?
Recorded crime in Downham was almost unchanged on the year before: 1,975 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,994 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Downham?
About 19,212 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 11% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Downham?
Downham 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.