Crime in St Mary's & St James': statistics, rates and trends
2,549 crimes were recorded in St Mary's & St James' in the 12 months to August 2026, 219.3 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 2% 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
Shoplifting (584), anti-social behaviour (494) and violence and sexual offences (457) made up 60% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 161st of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | St Mary's & St James' | Islington | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 2,549 | 41,297 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 219.3 | 185.2 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +2% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 11,625 | 223,024 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in St Mary's & St James' peaked in the year to August 2020 (2,652 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (2,182). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 17%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 2,549 | 219.3 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 2,504 | 215.4 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 2,428 | 208.9 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 2,192 | 188.6 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 2,317 | 199.3 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 2,188 | 188.2 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 2,652 | 228.1 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 2,568 | 220.9 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 2,182 | 187.7 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 193 |
| July 2026 | 257 |
| June 2026 | 201 |
| May 2026 | 237 |
| April 2026 | 276 |
| March 2026 | 227 |
| February 2026 | 161 |
| January 2026 | 197 |
| December 2025 | 166 |
| November 2025 | 203 |
| October 2025 | 221 |
| September 2025 | 210 |
Compared with England and Wales, St Mary's & St James' recorded notably more theft from the person (10.1 times the national rate), shoplifting (5.9 times the national rate) and bicycle theft (5.7 times the national rate), and notably less criminal damage and arson (23% below). On the year before, shoplifting rose from 464 to 584 and anti-social behaviour rose from 411 to 494, while criminal damage and arson fell from 97 to 60 and drugs fell from 90 to 62.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shoplifting | 584 | 50.2 | 8.5 | +26% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 494 | 42.5 | 15.4 | +20% |
| Violence and sexual offences | 457 | 39.3 | 34.2 | +2% |
| Other theft | 246 | 21.2 | 6.4 | -6% |
| Theft from the person | 197 | 16.9 | 1.7 | -18% |
| Public order | 140 | 12.0 | 6.7 | +18% |
| Vehicle crime | 97 | 8.3 | 5.0 | -12% |
| Burglary | 73 | 6.3 | 3.6 | -18% |
| Robbery | 66 | 5.7 | 1.4 | -20% |
| Drugs | 62 | 5.3 | 3.3 | -31% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 60 | 5.2 | 6.7 | -38% |
| Bicycle theft | 55 | 4.7 | 0.8 | -19% |
| Other crime | 12 | 1.0 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 6 | 0.5 | 1.0 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
3 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than St Mary's & St James'; the highest is Bunhill (298.5 per 1,000) and the lowest Mildmay (99.4).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs St Mary's & St James' |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canonbury | 1,296 | 112.8 | -49% |
| St Peter's & Canalside | 2,158 | 154.2 | -30% |
| Barnsbury | 2,332 | 206.8 | -6% |
| Laycock | 3,095 | 180.8 | -18% |
| Caledonian | 3,015 | 252.4 | +15% |
| Clerkenwell | 2,957 | 249.2 | +14% |
| Mildmay | 1,352 | 99.4 | -55% |
| Bunhill | 3,530 | 298.5 | +36% |
The 10 locations below account for 50% of the crime recorded in St Mary's & St James' over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Shopping Area” (319).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Shopping Area | 319 |
| On or near Collins Yard | 231 |
| On or near Camden Walk | 125 |
| On or near Islington Green | 114 |
| On or near Horse Yard | 95 |
| On or near Theatre/Concert Hall | 91 |
| On or near Upper Street | 78 |
| On or near Essex Road | 76 |
| On or near Greenman Street | 69 |
| On or near Queensbury Street | 65 |
Of the 2,055 crimes in St Mary's & St James' with a recorded outcome, 60% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.4% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 494 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,240 | 60.3% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 446 | 21.7% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 155 | 7.5% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 91 | 4.4% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 70 | 3.4% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 21 | 1.0% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 18 | 0.9% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 6 | 0.3% | 1.3% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 4 | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 2 | 0.1% | 0.6% |
St Mary's & St James' has an estimated population of 11,625 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more households without a car (68%, against 23%), more social housing (39%, against 17%) and more residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (61%, against 34%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up St Mary's & St James' average decile 4.0 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | St Mary's & St James' | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 13.6% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 10.3% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 65.4% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.6% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 9.4% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 9.3% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 60.8% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 12.6% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 68.2% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 28.7% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 39.4% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 31.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.0 | 5.5 (England) |
Is St Mary's & St James' a safe place to live?
St Mary's & St James' recorded 219.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 161st 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 shoplifting.
What is the most common crime in St Mary's & St James'?
Shoplifting was the most common category, with 584 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (494).
Is crime in St Mary's & St James' going up or down?
Recorded crime in St Mary's & St James' was up 2% on the year before: 2,549 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 2,504 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of St Mary's & St James'?
About 11,625 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 10% 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.