Crime in Rye Lane: statistics, rates and trends
3,825 crimes were recorded in Rye Lane in the 12 months to August 2026, 199.4 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 6% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Anti-social behaviour (838), violence and sexual offences (787) and theft from the person (376) made up 52% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 196th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Rye Lane | Southwark | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 3,825 | 49,295 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 199.4 | 156.6 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -6% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 19,184 | 314,786 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Rye Lane peaked in the year to August 2025 (4,080 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2023 (3,127). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it was almost unchanged, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 3,825 | 199.4 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 4,080 | 212.7 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 3,456 | 180.2 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 3,127 | 163.0 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 3,485 | 181.7 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 3,322 | 173.2 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 3,607 | 188.0 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 3,962 | 206.5 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 3,852 | 200.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 329 |
| July 2026 | 354 |
| June 2026 | 347 |
| May 2026 | 342 |
| April 2026 | 361 |
| March 2026 | 297 |
| February 2026 | 271 |
| January 2026 | 249 |
| December 2025 | 344 |
| November 2025 | 295 |
| October 2025 | 320 |
| September 2025 | 316 |
Compared with England and Wales, Rye Lane recorded notably more theft from the person (11.7 times the national rate), bicycle theft (7.9 times the national rate) and robbery (6.5 times the national rate), and notably less other crime (24% below). On the year before, bicycle theft rose from 78 to 125 and robbery rose from 118 to 169, while shoplifting fell from 855 to 313.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-social behaviour | 838 | 43.7 | 15.4 | +2% |
| Violence and sexual offences | 787 | 41.0 | 34.2 | +14% |
| Theft from the person | 376 | 19.6 | 1.7 | +18% |
| Other theft | 334 | 17.4 | 6.4 | +4% |
| Shoplifting | 313 | 16.3 | 8.5 | -63% |
| Vehicle crime | 238 | 12.4 | 5.0 | +5% |
| Burglary | 194 | 10.1 | 3.6 | +9% |
| Robbery | 169 | 8.8 | 1.4 | +43% |
| Public order | 157 | 8.2 | 6.7 | -2% |
| Bicycle theft | 125 | 6.5 | 0.8 | +60% |
| Drugs | 120 | 6.3 | 3.3 | -3% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 112 | 5.8 | 6.7 | -14% |
| Other crime | 31 | 1.6 | 2.1 | +3% |
| Possession of weapons | 31 | 1.6 | 1.0 | +35% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
Rye Lane has a higher crime rate than all 8 of its nearest neighbourhoods.
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Rye Lane |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nunhead & Queen's Road | 1,883 | 112.8 | -43% |
| Champion Hill | 574 | 66.5 | -67% |
| Peckham | 1,946 | 129.6 | -35% |
| Goose Green | 1,306 | 103.5 | -48% |
| St Giles | 1,672 | 117.1 | -41% |
| Peckham Rye | 542 | 56.0 | -72% |
| Old Kent Road | 2,315 | 143.9 | -28% |
| Dulwich Hill | 1,016 | 90.7 | -55% |
The 10 locations below account for 47% of the crime recorded in Rye Lane over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Shopping Area” (620).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Shopping Area | 620 |
| On or near Nightclub | 261 |
| On or near Basing Court | 154 |
| On or near Moncrieff Place | 139 |
| On or near Supermarket | 135 |
| On or near Bus/Coach Station | 123 |
| On or near Almond Close | 101 |
| On or near Peckham High Street | 97 |
| On or near Talfourd Road | 84 |
| On or near Clayton Road | 76 |
Of the 2,987 crimes in Rye Lane with a recorded outcome, 57% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.1% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 838 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,700 | 56.9% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 610 | 20.4% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 254 | 8.5% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 153 | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 126 | 4.2% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 54 | 1.8% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 51 | 1.7% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 20 | 0.7% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 9 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 5 | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 3 | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Offender given a caution | 2 | 0.1% | 0.6% |
Rye Lane has an estimated population of 19,184 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more households without a car (54%, against 23%), more social housing (35%, against 17%) and more residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (58%, against 34%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Rye Lane average decile 3.9 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Rye Lane | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 16.3% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 10.1% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 69.1% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.6% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 9.1% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 8.1% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 58.4% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 13.0% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 54.2% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 37.9% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 35.3% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 26.5% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.9 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Rye Lane a safe place to live?
Rye Lane recorded 199.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 196th 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 Rye Lane?
Anti-social behaviour was the most common category, with 838 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by violence and sexual offences (787).
Is crime in Rye Lane going up or down?
Recorded crime in Rye Lane was down 6% on the year before: 3,825 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 4,080 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Rye Lane?
About 19,184 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 10% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Rye Lane?
Rye Lane 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.