Crime in Oval: statistics, rates and trends
1,146 crimes were recorded in Oval in the 12 months to August 2026, 121.9 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 3% on the year before.
Crime map
Shoplifting (387), violence and sexual offences (182) and anti-social behaviour (157) made up 63% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 794th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Oval | Lambeth | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,146 | 48,809 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 121.9 | 154.0 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +3% | +3% | -1% |
| Population | 9,403 | 316,920 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Oval peaked in the year to August 2020 (1,716 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (1,110). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 13%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,146 | 121.9 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,110 | 118.0 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,329 | 141.3 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,138 | 121.0 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,455 | 154.7 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,501 | 159.6 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,716 | 182.5 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,351 | 143.7 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,313 | 139.6 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 99 |
| July 2026 | 111 |
| June 2026 | 124 |
| May 2026 | 121 |
| April 2026 | 107 |
| March 2026 | 100 |
| February 2026 | 80 |
| January 2026 | 56 |
| December 2025 | 74 |
| November 2025 | 113 |
| October 2025 | 78 |
| September 2025 | 83 |
Compared with England and Wales, Oval recorded notably more theft from the person (5.9 times the national rate), shoplifting (4.9 times the national rate) and bicycle theft (3.6 times the national rate), and notably less criminal damage and arson (53% below) and violence and sexual offences (43% below). On the year before, drugs rose from 33 to 42 and shoplifting rose from 306 to 387, while criminal damage and arson fell from 45 to 30 and burglary fell from 45 to 37.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shoplifting | 387 | 41.2 | 8.5 | +26% |
| Violence and sexual offences | 182 | 19.4 | 34.2 | -7% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 157 | 16.7 | 15.4 | -12% |
| Theft from the person | 93 | 9.9 | 1.7 | +7% |
| Other theft | 64 | 6.8 | 6.4 | -2% |
| Drugs | 42 | 4.5 | 3.3 | +27% |
| Public order | 41 | 4.4 | 6.7 | -2% |
| Vehicle crime | 40 | 4.3 | 5.0 | +3% |
| Burglary | 37 | 3.9 | 3.6 | -18% |
| Robbery | 31 | 3.3 | 1.4 | -9% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 30 | 3.2 | 6.7 | -33% |
| Bicycle theft | 28 | 3.0 | 0.8 | +17% |
| Possession of weapons | 8 | 0.9 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Other crime | 6 | 0.6 | 2.1 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
5 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Oval; the highest is Vauxhall, Lambeth (264.7 per 1,000) and the lowest Myatt's Fields (100.5).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Oval |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vauxhall | 3,304 | 264.7 | +117% |
| Stockwell East | 1,227 | 107.2 | -12% |
| Stockwell West & Larkhall | 2,087 | 121.4 | 0% |
| Myatt's Fields | 981 | 100.5 | -18% |
| Kennington | 2,225 | 138.6 | +14% |
| Brixton North | 2,474 | 148.9 | +22% |
| Clapham East | 2,483 | 221.2 | +81% |
| Clapham Town | 2,539 | 178.7 | +47% |
The 10 locations below account for 67% of the crime recorded in Oval over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (433).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 433 |
| On or near Luscombe Way | 56 |
| On or near Conference/Exhibition Centre | 40 |
| On or near Palfrey Place | 39 |
| On or near Dorset Road | 36 |
| On or near Old South Lambeth Road | 35 |
| On or near Offley Road | 34 |
| On or near Richborne Terrace | 34 |
| On or near Trigon Road | 28 |
| On or near Walton Close | 28 |
Of the 989 crimes in Oval with a recorded outcome, 55% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 13% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 157 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 543 | 54.9% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 166 | 16.8% | 34.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 129 | 13.0% | 5.2% |
| Under investigation | 46 | 4.7% | 11.5% |
| Court result unavailable | 43 | 4.3% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 37 | 3.7% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 10 | 1.0% | 1.3% |
| Local resolution | 5 | 0.5% | 3.1% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 3 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 3 | 0.3% | 0.1% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 2 | 0.2% | 0.6% |
Oval has an estimated population of 9,403 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more households without a car (69%, against 23%), more social housing (34%, against 17%) and more private renting (39%, against 20%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Oval average decile 4.5 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Oval | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 10.9% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 10.4% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 69.1% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.9% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 8.7% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 9.2% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 58.1% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 13.6% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 68.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 26.3% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 34.2% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 39.3% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.5 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Oval a safe place to live?
Oval recorded 121.9 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 794th 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 shoplifting.
What is the most common crime in Oval?
Shoplifting was the most common category, with 387 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by violence and sexual offences (182).
Is crime in Oval going up or down?
Recorded crime in Oval was up 3% on the year before: 1,146 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,110 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Oval?
About 9,403 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 10% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Oval?
Oval 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.