Crime in Penge & Cator: statistics, rates and trends
2,624 crimes were recorded in Penge & Cator in the 12 months to August 2026, 129.8 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 7% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Penge & Cator at a glance
- Crime trends in Penge & Cator
- Types of crime in Penge & Cator
- Penge & Cator compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in Penge & Cator
- What happened after crimes were reported in Penge & Cator
- Demographics of Penge & Cator
- Questions about crime in Penge & Cator
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (621), anti-social behaviour (572) and shoplifting (316) made up 58% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 684th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Penge & Cator | Bromley | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 2,624 | 29,136 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 129.8 | 86.9 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -7% | -2% | -1% |
| Population | 20,223 | 335,319 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Penge & Cator peaked in the year to August 2025 (2,827 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2024 (2,293). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 6%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 2,624 | 129.8 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 2,827 | 139.8 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 2,293 | 113.4 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 2,433 | 120.3 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 2,514 | 124.3 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 2,483 | 122.8 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 2,639 | 130.5 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 2,679 | 132.5 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 2,480 | 122.6 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 224 |
| July 2026 | 253 |
| June 2026 | 228 |
| May 2026 | 238 |
| April 2026 | 206 |
| March 2026 | 178 |
| February 2026 | 217 |
| January 2026 | 200 |
| December 2025 | 207 |
| November 2025 | 224 |
| October 2025 | 207 |
| September 2025 | 242 |
Compared with England and Wales, Penge & Cator recorded notably more vehicle crime (2.9 times the national rate), robbery (2.0 times the national rate) and shoplifting (85% above the national rate), and notably less other crime (32% below) and criminal damage and arson (26% below). On the year before, other crime rose from 24 to 29, while criminal damage and arson fell from 165 to 101 and vehicle crime fell from 378 to 291.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 621 | 30.7 | 34.2 | -7% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 572 | 28.3 | 15.4 | +12% |
| Shoplifting | 316 | 15.6 | 8.5 | -5% |
| Vehicle crime | 291 | 14.4 | 5.0 | -23% |
| Other theft | 182 | 9.0 | 6.4 | +5% |
| Public order | 159 | 7.9 | 6.7 | -10% |
| Burglary | 117 | 5.8 | 3.6 | -11% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 101 | 5.0 | 6.7 | -39% |
| Drugs | 101 | 5.0 | 3.3 | -9% |
| Robbery | 54 | 2.7 | 1.4 | -7% |
| Theft from the person | 53 | 2.6 | 1.7 | -21% |
| Other crime | 29 | 1.4 | 2.1 | +21% |
| Bicycle theft | 15 | 0.7 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 13 | 0.6 | 1.0 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
2 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Penge & Cator; the highest is Bromley Town (194.8 per 1,000) and the lowest West Wickham (51.1).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Penge & Cator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crystal Palace & Anerley | 1,642 | 135.1 | +4% |
| Clock House | 864 | 51.9 | -60% |
| Beckenham Town & Copers Cope | 1,717 | 107.2 | -17% |
| Kelsey & Eden Park | 1,508 | 89.3 | -31% |
| Shortlands & Park Langley | 937 | 59.6 | -54% |
| Plaistow | 1,104 | 84.5 | -35% |
| Bromley Town | 3,229 | 194.8 | +50% |
| West Wickham | 771 | 51.1 | -61% |
The 10 locations below account for 32% of the crime recorded in Penge & Cator over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (164).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 164 |
| On or near Montague Mews | 147 |
| On or near Beckenham Road | 113 |
| On or near A234 | 82 |
| On or near Parkside Close | 78 |
| On or near Thesiger Road | 73 |
| On or near Parking Area | 60 |
| On or near Evelina Road | 46 |
| On or near Bailey Place | 45 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 44 |
Of the 2,052 crimes in Penge & Cator with a recorded outcome, 47% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.2% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 572 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 960 | 46.8% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 518 | 25.2% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 257 | 12.5% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 107 | 5.2% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 87 | 4.2% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 45 | 2.2% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 42 | 2.0% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 14 | 0.7% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 12 | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 5 | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 3 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Penge & Cator has an estimated population of 20,223 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more households without a car (41%, against 23%), more social housing (27%, against 17%) and more residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (50%, against 34%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Penge & Cator average decile 4.6 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Penge & Cator | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.3% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 11.2% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 65.9% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.5% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 12.9% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.9% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 50.1% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 13.6% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 40.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 48.8% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 27.3% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 23.9% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.6 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Penge & Cator a safe place to live?
Penge & Cator recorded 129.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 684th 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 Penge & Cator?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 621 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (572).
Is crime in Penge & Cator going up or down?
Recorded crime in Penge & Cator was down 7% on the year before: 2,624 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 2,827 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Penge & Cator?
About 20,223 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 11% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Penge & Cator?
Penge & Cator 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.