Crime in St Mary Cray: statistics, rates and trends
1,500 crimes were recorded in St Mary Cray in the 12 months to August 2026, 85.5 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 9% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in St Mary Cray at a glance
- Crime trends in St Mary Cray
- Types of crime in St Mary Cray
- St Mary Cray compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in St Mary Cray
- What happened after crimes were reported in St Mary Cray
- Demographics of St Mary Cray
- Questions about crime in St Mary Cray
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (430), anti-social behaviour (281) and vehicle crime (236) made up 63% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1,651st of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | St Mary Cray | Bromley | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,500 | 29,136 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 85.5 | 86.9 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -9% | -2% | -1% |
| Population | 17,549 | 335,319 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in St Mary Cray peaked in the year to August 2020 (1,704 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (1,466). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 2%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,500 | 85.5 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,645 | 93.7 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,505 | 85.8 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,556 | 88.7 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,638 | 93.3 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,686 | 96.1 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,704 | 97.1 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,610 | 91.7 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,466 | 83.5 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 110 |
| July 2026 | 153 |
| June 2026 | 127 |
| May 2026 | 116 |
| April 2026 | 110 |
| March 2026 | 130 |
| February 2026 | 112 |
| January 2026 | 113 |
| December 2025 | 118 |
| November 2025 | 153 |
| October 2025 | 126 |
| September 2025 | 132 |
Compared with England and Wales, St Mary Cray recorded notably more vehicle crime (2.7 times the national rate), and notably less shoplifting (43% below) and criminal damage and arson (37% below). On the year before, vehicle crime rose from 188 to 236, while criminal damage and arson fell from 175 to 75 and drugs fell from 103 to 67.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 430 | 24.5 | 34.2 | -6% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 281 | 16.0 | 15.4 | 0% |
| Vehicle crime | 236 | 13.4 | 5.0 | +26% |
| Public order | 95 | 5.4 | 6.7 | +9% |
| Other theft | 92 | 5.2 | 6.4 | +8% |
| Shoplifting | 84 | 4.8 | 8.5 | -28% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 75 | 4.3 | 6.7 | -57% |
| Drugs | 67 | 3.8 | 3.3 | -35% |
| Burglary | 66 | 3.8 | 3.6 | +3% |
| Other crime | 18 | 1.0 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Robbery | 18 | 1.0 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 17 | 1.0 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 15 | 0.9 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 6 | 0.3 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
2 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than St Mary Cray; the highest is St Paul's Cray (139.5 per 1,000) and the lowest Chelsfield (43.5).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs St Mary Cray |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orpington | 1,531 | 112.1 | +31% |
| St Paul's Cray | 2,664 | 139.5 | +63% |
| Petts Wood & Knoll | 629 | 44.5 | -48% |
| Farnborough & Crofton | 1,296 | 68.7 | -20% |
| Chelsfield | 566 | 43.5 | -49% |
| Chislehurst | 1,072 | 66.3 | -22% |
| Bromley Common & Holwood | 1,281 | 73.7 | -14% |
| Bickley & Sundridge | 987 | 51.1 | -40% |
The 10 locations below account for 27% of the crime recorded in St Mary Cray over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (113).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 113 |
| On or near High Street | 44 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 41 |
| On or near Meath Close | 35 |
| On or near Hythe Close | 33 |
| On or near Sarre Road | 31 |
| On or near Harbledown Place | 27 |
| On or near Hodson Crescent | 27 |
| On or near Wellington Road | 24 |
| On or near Elmcroft Road | 23 |
Of the 1,219 crimes in St Mary Cray with a recorded outcome, 43% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.8% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 281 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 519 | 42.6% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 336 | 27.6% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 168 | 13.8% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 88 | 7.2% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 46 | 3.8% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 26 | 2.1% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 12 | 1.0% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 10 | 0.8% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 5 | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 4 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 3 | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 2 | 0.2% | 0.1% |
St Mary Cray has an estimated population of 17,549 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has less private renting (13%, against 20%) and fewer students (5.9%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up St Mary Cray average decile 5.4 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | St Mary Cray | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 20.4% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 17.1% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 58.9% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.4% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 20.8% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.9% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 31.9% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 19.3% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 23.1% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 67.5% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 19.7% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 12.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.4 | 5.5 (England) |
Is St Mary Cray a safe place to live?
St Mary Cray recorded 85.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 1,651st of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were vehicle crime.
What is the most common crime in St Mary Cray?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 430 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (281).
Is crime in St Mary Cray going up or down?
Recorded crime in St Mary Cray was down 9% on the year before: 1,500 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,645 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of St Mary Cray?
About 17,549 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 17% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers St Mary Cray?
St Mary Cray 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.