Crime in Sydenham: statistics, rates and trends
1,939 crimes were recorded in Sydenham in the 12 months to August 2026, 118.8 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 1% on the year before.
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Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (581), anti-social behaviour (460) and vehicle crime (188) made up 63% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 841st of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Sydenham | Lewisham | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,939 | 36,926 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 118.8 | 122.6 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -1% | +3% | -1% |
| Population | 16,327 | 301,255 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Sydenham peaked in the year to August 2025 (1,966 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (1,477). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 31%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,939 | 118.8 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,966 | 120.4 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,736 | 106.3 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,848 | 113.2 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,760 | 107.8 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,717 | 105.2 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,962 | 120.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,747 | 107.0 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,477 | 90.5 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 223 |
| July 2026 | 181 |
| June 2026 | 169 |
| May 2026 | 166 |
| April 2026 | 140 |
| March 2026 | 116 |
| February 2026 | 155 |
| January 2026 | 147 |
| December 2025 | 146 |
| November 2025 | 156 |
| October 2025 | 180 |
| September 2025 | 160 |
Compared with England and Wales, Sydenham recorded notably more robbery (2.3 times the national rate), vehicle crime (2.3 times the national rate) and theft from the person (86% above the national rate), and notably less criminal damage and arson (39% below) and shoplifting (28% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 35 to 52 and other crime rose from 24 to 31, while criminal damage and arson fell from 101 to 67 and burglary fell from 92 to 64.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 581 | 35.6 | 34.2 | +11% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 460 | 28.2 | 15.4 | -8% |
| Vehicle crime | 188 | 11.5 | 5.0 | -10% |
| Other theft | 137 | 8.4 | 6.4 | +17% |
| Public order | 118 | 7.2 | 6.7 | +8% |
| Shoplifting | 100 | 6.1 | 8.5 | -7% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 67 | 4.1 | 6.7 | -34% |
| Drugs | 67 | 4.1 | 3.3 | -20% |
| Burglary | 64 | 3.9 | 3.6 | -30% |
| Robbery | 52 | 3.2 | 1.4 | +49% |
| Theft from the person | 51 | 3.1 | 1.7 | +2% |
| Other crime | 31 | 1.9 | 2.1 | +29% |
| Possession of weapons | 17 | 1.0 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 6 | 0.4 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
4 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Sydenham; the highest is Rushey Green (186.5 per 1,000) and the lowest Forest Hill (83.6).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Sydenham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perry Vale | 1,740 | 90.2 | -24% |
| Forest Hill | 1,268 | 83.6 | -30% |
| Bellingham | 1,578 | 148.8 | +25% |
| Crofton Park | 1,373 | 89.3 | -25% |
| Rushey Green | 3,824 | 186.5 | +57% |
| Catford South | 2,137 | 123.0 | +4% |
| Ladywell | 1,642 | 140.4 | +18% |
| Downham | 1,975 | 102.8 | -13% |
The 10 locations below account for 36% of the crime recorded in Sydenham over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Queensthorpe Mews” (198).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Queensthorpe Mews | 198 |
| On or near Supermarket | 81 |
| On or near Sydenham Station Approach | 79 |
| On or near Silverdale | 70 |
| On or near Venner Road | 67 |
| On or near Sunnydene Street | 46 |
| On or near Allwood Close | 41 |
| On or near Spring Hill | 40 |
| On or near Newman Close | 38 |
| On or near Elderton Road | 34 |
Of the 1,479 crimes in Sydenham with a recorded outcome, 42% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.5% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 460 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 625 | 42.3% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 468 | 31.6% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 173 | 11.7% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 79 | 5.3% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 67 | 4.5% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 31 | 2.1% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 16 | 1.1% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 11 | 0.7% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 5 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 3 | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Offender given a caution | 1 | 0.1% | 0.6% |
Sydenham has an estimated population of 16,327 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more social housing (34%, against 17%), more households without a car (45%, against 23%) and more residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (49%, against 34%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Sydenham average decile 4.0 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Sydenham | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.3% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 13.7% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 63.3% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 5.1% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 13.7% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 7.4% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 49.3% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 14.7% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 44.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 44.2% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 33.9% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 21.7% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.0 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Sydenham a safe place to live?
Sydenham recorded 118.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 841st of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were robbery and vehicle crime.
What is the most common crime in Sydenham?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 581 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (460).
Is crime in Sydenham going up or down?
Recorded crime in Sydenham was down 1% on the year before: 1,939 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,966 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Sydenham?
About 16,327 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 14% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Sydenham?
Sydenham 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.