Crime in St Mary's & St James: statistics, rates and trends
805 crimes were recorded in St Mary's & St James in the 12 months to August 2026, 66.9 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 6% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in St Mary's & St James at a glance
- Crime trends in St Mary's & St James
- Types of crime in St Mary's & St James
- St Mary's & St James compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in St Mary's & St James
- What happened after crimes were reported in St Mary's & St James
- Demographics of St Mary's & St James
- Questions about crime in St Mary's & St James
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (225), anti-social behaviour (175) and vehicle crime (70) made up 58% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 2,346th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | St Mary's & St James | Bexley | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 805 | 20,080 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 66.9 | 78.3 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +6% | +2% | -1% |
| Population | 12,026 | 256,434 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in St Mary's & St James peaked in the year to August 2020 (1,016 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (762). 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 | 805 | 66.9 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 762 | 63.4 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 850 | 70.7 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 868 | 72.2 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 936 | 77.8 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 890 | 74.0 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,016 | 84.5 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 968 | 80.5 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 921 | 76.6 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 43 |
| July 2026 | 81 |
| June 2026 | 82 |
| May 2026 | 63 |
| April 2026 | 68 |
| March 2026 | 83 |
| February 2026 | 59 |
| January 2026 | 87 |
| December 2025 | 59 |
| November 2025 | 66 |
| October 2025 | 59 |
| September 2025 | 55 |
Compared with England and Wales, St Mary's & St James recorded notably more burglary (26% above the national rate), and notably less other theft (51% below) and drugs (47% below). On the year before, public order rose from 36 to 59 and anti-social behaviour rose from 123 to 175, while criminal damage and arson fell from 103 to 52 and vehicle crime fell from 104 to 70.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 225 | 18.7 | 34.2 | +26% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 175 | 14.6 | 15.4 | +42% |
| Vehicle crime | 70 | 5.8 | 5.0 | -33% |
| Shoplifting | 69 | 5.7 | 8.5 | +5% |
| Public order | 59 | 4.9 | 6.7 | +64% |
| Burglary | 54 | 4.5 | 3.6 | +42% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 52 | 4.3 | 6.7 | -50% |
| Other theft | 38 | 3.2 | 6.4 | -28% |
| Drugs | 21 | 1.7 | 3.3 | +5% |
| Robbery | 17 | 1.4 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Other crime | 12 | 1.0 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 8 | 0.7 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 4 | 0.3 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 1 | 0.1 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
5 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than St Mary's & St James; the highest is Bexleyheath (148.1 per 1,000) and the lowest Blackfen & Lamorbey (43.6).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs St Mary's & St James |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blendon & Penhill | 725 | 46.9 | -30% |
| Sidcup | 1,266 | 78.1 | +17% |
| Bexleyheath | 2,437 | 148.1 | +121% |
| Crook Log | 1,191 | 67.9 | +1% |
| Crayford | 1,479 | 87.5 | +31% |
| Longlands | 703 | 65.1 | -3% |
| Blackfen & Lamorbey | 638 | 43.6 | -35% |
| Falconwood & Welling | 1,282 | 72.9 | +9% |
The 10 locations below account for 41% of the crime recorded in St Mary's & St James over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Petrol Station” (48).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Petrol Station | 48 |
| On or near Edgington Way | 41 |
| On or near North Cray Road | 40 |
| On or near Bullers Close | 37 |
| On or near Maidstone Road | 35 |
| On or near Parking Area | 34 |
| On or near The Spinney | 29 |
| On or near Bexley High Street | 25 |
| On or near Postal Close | 22 |
| On or near Supermarket | 22 |
Of the 630 crimes in St Mary's & St James with a recorded outcome, 46% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.1% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 175 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 289 | 45.9% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 173 | 27.5% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 81 | 12.9% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 39 | 6.2% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 26 | 4.1% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 11 | 1.7% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 7 | 1.1% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 3 | 0.5% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
St Mary's & St James has an estimated population of 12,026 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has less private renting (12%, against 20%), less social housing (10%, against 17%) and fewer households without a car (17%, against 23%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up St Mary's & St James average decile 7.7 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | St Mary's & St James | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.7% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 20.1% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 58.0% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.1% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 24.9% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 33.6% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 15.7% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 16.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 77.5% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 10.5% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 12.0% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 7.7 | 5.5 (England) |
Is St Mary's & St James a safe place to live?
St Mary's & St James recorded 66.9 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 2,346th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were burglary.
What is the most common crime in St Mary's & St James?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 225 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (175).
Is crime in St Mary's & St James going up or down?
Recorded crime in St Mary's & St James was up 6% on the year before: 805 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 762 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of St Mary's & St James?
About 12,026 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 20% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers St Mary's & St James?
St Mary's & St James 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.