Crime in East Finchley: statistics, rates and trends
1,277 crimes were recorded in East Finchley in the 12 months to August 2026, 75.8 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 7% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in East Finchley at a glance
- Crime trends in East Finchley
- Types of crime in East Finchley
- East Finchley compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in East Finchley
- What happened after crimes were reported in East Finchley
- Demographics of East Finchley
- Questions about crime in East Finchley
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (334), anti-social behaviour (301) and vehicle crime (180) made up 64% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1,988th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | East Finchley | Barnet | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,277 | 37,545 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 75.8 | 92.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -7% | +5% | -1% |
| Population | 16,850 | 405,050 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in East Finchley peaked in the year to August 2021 (1,480 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (1,106). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 15%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,277 | 75.8 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,378 | 81.8 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,389 | 82.4 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,222 | 72.5 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,285 | 76.3 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,480 | 87.8 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,429 | 84.8 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,222 | 72.5 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,106 | 65.6 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 104 |
| July 2026 | 95 |
| June 2026 | 125 |
| May 2026 | 118 |
| April 2026 | 88 |
| March 2026 | 135 |
| February 2026 | 89 |
| January 2026 | 99 |
| December 2025 | 98 |
| November 2025 | 105 |
| October 2025 | 131 |
| September 2025 | 90 |
Compared with England and Wales, East Finchley recorded notably more vehicle crime (2.1 times the national rate), and notably less criminal damage and arson (59% below) and public order (55% below). On the year before, vehicle crime rose from 156 to 180, while criminal damage and arson fell from 91 to 47 and theft from the person fell from 56 to 33.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 334 | 19.8 | 34.2 | +13% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 301 | 17.9 | 15.4 | -8% |
| Vehicle crime | 180 | 10.7 | 5.0 | +15% |
| Other theft | 93 | 5.5 | 6.4 | -14% |
| Shoplifting | 86 | 5.1 | 8.5 | -16% |
| Burglary | 67 | 4.0 | 3.6 | -27% |
| Public order | 51 | 3.0 | 6.7 | +2% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 47 | 2.8 | 6.7 | -48% |
| Drugs | 33 | 2.0 | 3.3 | -13% |
| Theft from the person | 33 | 2.0 | 1.7 | -41% |
| Robbery | 22 | 1.3 | 1.4 | -27% |
| Other crime | 12 | 0.7 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 11 | 0.7 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 7 | 0.4 | 1.0 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
6 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than East Finchley; the highest is West Finchley (113.7 per 1,000) and the lowest Totteridge & Woodside (68.1).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs East Finchley |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garden Suburb | 820 | 76.0 | 0% |
| West Finchley | 2,383 | 113.7 | +50% |
| Finchley Church End | 1,460 | 78.9 | +4% |
| Woodhouse | 1,123 | 80.8 | +7% |
| Friern Barnet | 1,759 | 88.9 | +17% |
| Golders Green | 1,349 | 75.1 | -1% |
| Totteridge & Woodside | 1,047 | 68.1 | -10% |
| Childs Hill | 2,202 | 112.5 | +48% |
The 10 locations below account for 34% of the crime recorded in East Finchley over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Theatre/Concert Hall” (87).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Theatre/Concert Hall | 87 |
| On or near Nursery Road | 75 |
| On or near Old Farm Road | 46 |
| On or near Central Avenue | 37 |
| On or near Further/Higher Educational Building | 35 |
| On or near Chandos Road | 34 |
| On or near East End Road | 30 |
| On or near King Street | 30 |
| On or near Hertford Road | 27 |
| On or near Sedgemere Avenue | 27 |
Of the 976 crimes in East Finchley with a recorded outcome, 54% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.1% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 301 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 531 | 54.4% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 214 | 21.9% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 119 | 12.2% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 57 | 5.8% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 30 | 3.1% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 12 | 1.2% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 7 | 0.7% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 3 | 0.3% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 1 | 0.1% | 0.6% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 1 | 0.1% | 0.1% |
East Finchley has an estimated population of 16,850 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (57%, against 34%), more households without a car (37%, against 23%) and more private renting (28%, against 20%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up East Finchley average decile 5.9 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | East Finchley | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.9% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 15.8% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 60.6% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 5.1% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 15.9% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 8.9% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 56.8% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 12.5% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 36.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 48.9% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 22.8% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 28.2% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.9 | 5.5 (England) |
Is East Finchley a safe place to live?
East Finchley recorded 75.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 1,988th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were vehicle crime.
What is the most common crime in East Finchley?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 334 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (301).
Is crime in East Finchley going up or down?
Recorded crime in East Finchley was down 7% on the year before: 1,277 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,378 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of East Finchley?
About 16,850 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 16% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers East Finchley?
East Finchley 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.