Crime in Old Kent Road: statistics, rates and trends
2,315 crimes were recorded in Old Kent Road in the 12 months to August 2026, 143.9 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 3% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Old Kent Road at a glance
- Crime trends in Old Kent Road
- Types of crime in Old Kent Road
- Old Kent Road compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in Old Kent Road
- What happened after crimes were reported in Old Kent Road
- Demographics of Old Kent Road
- Questions about crime in Old Kent Road
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (560), anti-social behaviour (516) and other theft (205) made up 55% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 485th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Old Kent Road | Southwark | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 2,315 | 49,295 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 143.9 | 156.6 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +3% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 16,090 | 314,786 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Old Kent Road peaked in the year to August 2024 (2,321 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (1,854). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 25%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 2,315 | 143.9 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 2,251 | 139.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 2,321 | 144.3 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 2,218 | 137.8 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 2,105 | 130.8 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 2,257 | 140.3 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 2,288 | 142.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 2,010 | 124.9 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,854 | 115.2 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 205 |
| July 2026 | 204 |
| June 2026 | 205 |
| May 2026 | 200 |
| April 2026 | 192 |
| March 2026 | 189 |
| February 2026 | 184 |
| January 2026 | 203 |
| December 2025 | 172 |
| November 2025 | 188 |
| October 2025 | 173 |
| September 2025 | 200 |
Compared with England and Wales, Old Kent Road recorded notably more theft from the person (5.7 times the national rate), bicycle theft (4.6 times the national rate) and robbery (4.4 times the national rate), and notably less other crime (32% below) and criminal damage and arson (28% below). On the year before, shoplifting rose from 92 to 121 and robbery rose from 77 to 96, while criminal damage and arson fell from 119 to 78 and drugs fell from 123 to 81.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 560 | 34.8 | 34.2 | 0% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 516 | 32.1 | 15.4 | +10% |
| Other theft | 205 | 12.7 | 6.4 | +6% |
| Theft from the person | 153 | 9.5 | 1.7 | +9% |
| Vehicle crime | 150 | 9.3 | 5.0 | -4% |
| Burglary | 132 | 8.2 | 3.6 | +12% |
| Public order | 123 | 7.6 | 6.7 | +12% |
| Shoplifting | 121 | 7.5 | 8.5 | +32% |
| Robbery | 96 | 6.0 | 1.4 | +25% |
| Drugs | 81 | 5.0 | 3.3 | -34% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 78 | 4.8 | 6.7 | -34% |
| Bicycle theft | 61 | 3.8 | 0.8 | +13% |
| Other crime | 23 | 1.4 | 2.1 | -4% |
| Possession of weapons | 16 | 1.0 | 1.0 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
2 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Old Kent Road; the highest is Faraday (214.7 per 1,000) and the lowest Nunhead & Queen's Road (112.8).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Old Kent Road |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peckham | 1,946 | 129.6 | -10% |
| South Bermondsey | 2,070 | 115.7 | -20% |
| Nunhead & Queen's Road | 1,883 | 112.8 | -22% |
| Faraday | 3,138 | 214.7 | +49% |
| St Giles | 1,672 | 117.1 | -19% |
| North Bermondsey | 2,300 | 140.8 | -2% |
| Rye Lane | 3,825 | 199.4 | +39% |
| Rotherhithe | 2,219 | 140.0 | -3% |
The 10 locations below account for 35% of the crime recorded in Old Kent Road over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (144).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 144 |
| On or near Old Kent Road | 100 |
| On or near Avondale Square | 85 |
| On or near Sylvan Grove | 83 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 79 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 78 |
| On or near Rowcross Street | 66 |
| On or near Shard'S Square | 59 |
| On or near Frensham Street | 56 |
| On or near Wales Close | 54 |
Of the 1,799 crimes in Old Kent Road with a recorded outcome, 53% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.4% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 516 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 960 | 53.4% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 440 | 24.5% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 154 | 8.6% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 83 | 4.6% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 79 | 4.4% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 25 | 1.4% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 24 | 1.3% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 20 | 1.1% | 1.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 5 | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 5 | 0.3% | 0.1% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Old Kent Road has an estimated population of 16,090 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more social housing (62%, against 17%), more households without a car (62%, against 23%) and more unemployed residents (7.6%, against 3.4%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Old Kent Road average decile 2.8 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Old Kent Road | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.5% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 9.0% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 60.4% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 7.6% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 8.3% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 12.1% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 41.0% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 19.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 62.0% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 18.5% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 61.8% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 18.9% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 2.8 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Old Kent Road a safe place to live?
Old Kent Road recorded 143.9 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 485th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were theft from the person and bicycle theft.
What is the most common crime in Old Kent Road?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 560 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (516).
Is crime in Old Kent Road going up or down?
Recorded crime in Old Kent Road was up 3% on the year before: 2,315 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 2,251 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Old Kent Road?
About 16,090 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 9.0% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Old Kent Road?
Old Kent Road 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.