Crime in Plaistow: statistics, rates and trends
1,104 crimes were recorded in Plaistow in the 12 months to August 2026, 84.5 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 8% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (302), anti-social behaviour (250) and vehicle crime (165) made up 65% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1,693rd of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Plaistow | Bromley | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,104 | 29,136 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 84.5 | 86.9 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -8% | -2% | -1% |
| Population | 13,064 | 335,319 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Plaistow peaked in the year to August 2025 (1,203 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (908). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 22%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,104 | 84.5 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,203 | 92.1 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,052 | 80.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 996 | 76.2 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 943 | 72.2 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,126 | 86.2 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,061 | 81.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 957 | 73.3 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 908 | 69.5 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 104 |
| July 2026 | 110 |
| June 2026 | 106 |
| May 2026 | 102 |
| April 2026 | 78 |
| March 2026 | 93 |
| February 2026 | 82 |
| January 2026 | 105 |
| December 2025 | 73 |
| November 2025 | 79 |
| October 2025 | 82 |
| September 2025 | 90 |
Compared with England and Wales, Plaistow recorded notably more vehicle crime (2.5 times the national rate) and drugs (45% above the national rate), and notably less criminal damage and arson (70% below) and shoplifting (42% below). On the year before, drugs rose from 47 to 62 and anti-social behaviour rose from 216 to 250, while shoplifting fell from 167 to 64 and criminal damage and arson fell from 64 to 26.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 302 | 23.1 | 34.2 | +15% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 250 | 19.1 | 15.4 | +16% |
| Vehicle crime | 165 | 12.6 | 5.0 | -5% |
| Other theft | 76 | 5.8 | 6.4 | -7% |
| Public order | 67 | 5.1 | 6.7 | -1% |
| Shoplifting | 64 | 4.9 | 8.5 | -62% |
| Drugs | 62 | 4.7 | 3.3 | +32% |
| Burglary | 29 | 2.2 | 3.6 | -41% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 26 | 2.0 | 6.7 | -59% |
| Other crime | 21 | 1.6 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Robbery | 17 | 1.3 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 15 | 1.1 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 8 | 0.6 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 2 | 0.2 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
4 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Plaistow; the highest is Bromley Town (194.8 per 1,000) and the lowest Bickley & Sundridge (51.1).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Plaistow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bromley Town | 3,229 | 194.8 | +130% |
| Bickley & Sundridge | 987 | 51.1 | -40% |
| Shortlands & Park Langley | 937 | 59.6 | -30% |
| Mottingham | 1,282 | 114.4 | +35% |
| Beckenham Town & Copers Cope | 1,717 | 107.2 | +27% |
| Chislehurst | 1,072 | 66.3 | -22% |
| Bromley Common & Holwood | 1,281 | 73.7 | -13% |
| Kelsey & Eden Park | 1,508 | 89.3 | +6% |
The 10 locations below account for 44% of the crime recorded in Plaistow over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Longfield” (133).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Longfield | 133 |
| On or near Supermarket | 56 |
| On or near Boyland Road | 49 |
| On or near Hillcrest Road | 49 |
| On or near Sudbury Crescent | 40 |
| On or near Detling Road | 38 |
| On or near Burnt Ash Lane | 35 |
| On or near Brook Lane | 28 |
| On or near Roslin Way | 28 |
| On or near Bonville Road | 26 |
Of the 854 crimes in Plaistow with a recorded outcome, 41% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 2.8% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 250 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 351 | 41.1% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 263 | 30.8% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 116 | 13.6% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 67 | 7.8% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 24 | 2.8% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 16 | 1.9% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 11 | 1.3% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 3 | 0.4% | 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% |
Plaistow has an estimated population of 13,064 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (44%, against 34%) and fewer residents with no qualifications (14%, against 18%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Plaistow average decile 6.3 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Plaistow | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.7% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 16.7% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 62.4% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.7% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 18.4% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.4% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 44.3% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 14.3% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 24.0% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 66.3% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 15.2% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 18.4% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.3 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Plaistow a safe place to live?
Plaistow recorded 84.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 1,693rd of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were vehicle crime and drugs.
What is the most common crime in Plaistow?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 302 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (250).
Is crime in Plaistow going up or down?
Recorded crime in Plaistow was down 8% on the year before: 1,104 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,203 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Plaistow?
About 13,064 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 17% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Plaistow?
Plaistow 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.