Crime in Forest Hill: statistics, rates and trends
1,268 crimes were recorded in Forest Hill in the 12 months to August 2026, 83.6 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 9% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Forest Hill at a glance
- Crime trends in Forest Hill
- Types of crime in Forest Hill
- Forest Hill compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in Forest Hill
- What happened after crimes were reported in Forest Hill
- Demographics of Forest Hill
- Questions about crime in Forest Hill
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (396), anti-social behaviour (266) and vehicle crime (132) made up 63% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1,721st of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Forest Hill | Lewisham | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,268 | 36,926 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 83.6 | 122.6 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -9% | +3% | -1% |
| Population | 15,165 | 301,255 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Forest Hill of any year here (1,268 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 6%, in line with England and Wales.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,268 | 83.6 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,395 | 92.0 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,339 | 88.3 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,478 | 97.5 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,508 | 99.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,680 | 110.8 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,632 | 107.6 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,395 | 92.0 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,351 | 89.1 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 101 |
| July 2026 | 114 |
| June 2026 | 84 |
| May 2026 | 115 |
| April 2026 | 87 |
| March 2026 | 107 |
| February 2026 | 90 |
| January 2026 | 109 |
| December 2025 | 90 |
| November 2025 | 126 |
| October 2025 | 135 |
| September 2025 | 110 |
Compared with England and Wales, Forest Hill recorded notably more robbery (84% above the national rate) and vehicle crime (75% above the national rate), and notably less shoplifting (59% below) and criminal damage and arson (41% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 25 to 38, while theft from the person fell from 37 to 24 and other theft fell from 112 to 78.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 396 | 26.1 | 34.2 | +1% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 266 | 17.5 | 15.4 | -19% |
| Vehicle crime | 132 | 8.7 | 5.0 | -9% |
| Public order | 83 | 5.5 | 6.7 | -3% |
| Other theft | 78 | 5.1 | 6.4 | -30% |
| Burglary | 66 | 4.4 | 3.6 | -3% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 60 | 4.0 | 6.7 | +3% |
| Drugs | 52 | 3.4 | 3.3 | -5% |
| Shoplifting | 52 | 3.4 | 8.5 | +4% |
| Robbery | 38 | 2.5 | 1.4 | +52% |
| Theft from the person | 24 | 1.6 | 1.7 | -35% |
| Bicycle theft | 9 | 0.6 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Other crime | 9 | 0.6 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 3 | 0.2 | 1.0 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
7 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Forest Hill; the highest is Rushey Green (186.5 per 1,000) and the lowest Telegraph Hill (78.6).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Forest Hill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perry Vale | 1,740 | 90.2 | +8% |
| Sydenham | 1,939 | 118.8 | +42% |
| Crofton Park | 1,373 | 89.3 | +7% |
| Bellingham | 1,578 | 148.8 | +78% |
| Rushey Green | 3,824 | 186.5 | +123% |
| Telegraph Hill | 1,276 | 78.6 | -6% |
| Ladywell | 1,642 | 140.4 | +68% |
| Catford South | 2,137 | 123.0 | +47% |
The 10 locations below account for 35% of the crime recorded in Forest Hill over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (77).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 77 |
| On or near Parking Area | 75 |
| On or near Suncroft Place | 65 |
| On or near Boveney Road | 43 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 39 |
| On or near Bird-In-Hand Passage | 33 |
| On or near Kirkdale | 31 |
| On or near Longfield Crescent | 29 |
| On or near Dartmouth Place | 27 |
| On or near Heathedge | 25 |
Of the 1,002 crimes in Forest Hill with a recorded outcome, 43% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.3% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 266 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 427 | 42.6% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 309 | 30.8% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 122 | 12.2% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 59 | 5.9% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 33 | 3.3% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 20 | 2.0% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 15 | 1.5% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 10 | 1.0% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 5 | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 1 | 0.1% | 0.1% |
Forest Hill has an estimated population of 15,165 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more households without a car (45%, against 23%), more residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (59%, against 34%) and fewer retired residents (11%, against 22%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Forest Hill average decile 4.9 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Forest Hill | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.3% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 10.5% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 67.7% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 5.2% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 11.2% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 7.2% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 58.7% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 10.6% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 44.6% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 50.0% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 24.1% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 25.7% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.9 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Forest Hill a safe place to live?
Forest Hill recorded 83.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 1,721st of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were robbery and vehicle crime.
What is the most common crime in Forest Hill?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 396 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (266).
Is crime in Forest Hill going up or down?
Recorded crime in Forest Hill was down 9% on the year before: 1,268 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,395 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Forest Hill?
About 15,165 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 10% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Forest Hill?
Forest Hill 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.