Crime in Barnet: statistics, rates and trends
37,279 crimes were recorded in Barnet in the 12 months to August 2026, 92.7 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 5% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (9,287), anti-social behaviour (8,670) and vehicle crime (3,780) made up 58% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 433rd of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Barnet | Barnet | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 37,279 | 37,545 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 92.7 | 92.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +5% | +5% | -1% |
| Population | 402,167 | 405,050 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Barnet peaked in the year to August 2020 (39,861 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (33,610). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 11%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 37,279 | 92.7 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 35,661 | 88.7 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 36,002 | 89.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 35,580 | 88.5 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 35,943 | 89.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 39,072 | 97.2 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 39,861 | 99.1 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 37,207 | 92.5 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 33,610 | 83.6 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 2,989 |
| July 2026 | 3,197 |
| June 2026 | 3,192 |
| May 2026 | 3,207 |
| April 2026 | 2,981 |
| March 2026 | 3,326 |
| February 2026 | 3,066 |
| January 2026 | 3,009 |
| December 2025 | 3,050 |
| November 2025 | 3,020 |
| October 2025 | 3,245 |
| September 2025 | 2,997 |
Compared with England and Wales, Barnet recorded notably more vehicle crime (89% above the national rate), robbery (53% above the national rate) and burglary (49% above the national rate), and notably less criminal damage and arson (54% below) and other crime (50% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 625 to 837 and possession of weapons rose from 155 to 196, while criminal damage and arson fell from 1,945 to 1,250 and drugs fell from 1,895 to 1,577.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 9,287 | 23.1 | 34.2 | +14% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 8,670 | 21.6 | 15.4 | +7% |
| Vehicle crime | 3,780 | 9.4 | 5.0 | 0% |
| Shoplifting | 3,378 | 8.4 | 8.5 | +23% |
| Other theft | 2,624 | 6.5 | 6.4 | -1% |
| Burglary | 2,135 | 5.3 | 3.6 | -3% |
| Public order | 1,993 | 5.0 | 6.7 | +11% |
| Drugs | 1,577 | 3.9 | 3.3 | -17% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,250 | 3.1 | 6.7 | -36% |
| Theft from the person | 939 | 2.3 | 1.7 | -8% |
| Robbery | 837 | 2.1 | 1.4 | +34% |
| Other crime | 421 | 1.0 | 2.1 | -1% |
| Possession of weapons | 196 | 0.5 | 1.0 | +26% |
| Bicycle theft | 192 | 0.5 | 0.8 | +2% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
7 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Barnet; the highest is Camden (217.4 per 1,000) and the lowest Harrow (81.7).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Barnet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brent | 42,469 | 121.0 | +31% |
| Borehamwood | 4,229 | 104.4 | +13% |
| Haringey | 34,981 | 132.6 | +43% |
| Camden | 46,472 | 217.4 | +134% |
| Harrow | 21,983 | 81.7 | -12% |
| Islington | 41,297 | 185.2 | +100% |
| Enfield | 36,570 | 112.9 | +22% |
| Potters Bar | 2,320 | 94.8 | +2% |
Of the 24 areas within Barnet, Cricklewood had the highest crime rate (172.0 per 1,000) and Edgwarebury the lowest (61.1).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cricklewood | Neighbourhood | 11,342 | 1,951 | 172.0 |
| West Hendon | Neighbourhood | 21,117 | 3,046 | 144.2 |
| Hendon | Neighbourhood | 22,051 | 2,604 | 118.1 |
| West Finchley | Neighbourhood | 20,964 | 2,383 | 113.7 |
| Childs Hill | Neighbourhood | 19,569 | 2,202 | 112.5 |
| Burnt Oak | Neighbourhood | 23,734 | 2,622 | 110.5 |
| Colindale South | Neighbourhood | 20,307 | 2,208 | 108.7 |
| Edgware | Neighbourhood | 17,542 | 1,659 | 94.6 |
| Friern Barnet | Neighbourhood | 19,796 | 1,759 | 88.9 |
| Colindale North | Neighbourhood | 13,448 | 1,182 | 87.9 |
| High Barnet | Neighbourhood | 13,209 | 1,120 | 84.8 |
| Woodhouse | Neighbourhood | 13,906 | 1,123 | 80.8 |
| Underhill | Neighbourhood | 11,560 | 921 | 79.7 |
| Finchley Church End | Neighbourhood | 18,514 | 1,460 | 78.9 |
| Whetstone | Neighbourhood | 12,825 | 1,004 | 78.3 |
| Garden Suburb | Neighbourhood | 10,790 | 820 | 76.0 |
| East Finchley | Neighbourhood | 16,850 | 1,277 | 75.8 |
| Golders Green | Neighbourhood | 17,972 | 1,349 | 75.1 |
| Barnet Vale | Neighbourhood | 17,148 | 1,262 | 73.6 |
| Brunswick Park | Neighbourhood | 17,053 | 1,249 | 73.2 |
| East Barnet | Neighbourhood | 17,602 | 1,215 | 69.0 |
| Totteridge & Woodside | Neighbourhood | 15,383 | 1,047 | 68.1 |
| Mill Hill | Neighbourhood | 17,856 | 1,195 | 66.9 |
| Edgwarebury | Neighbourhood | 14,512 | 887 | 61.1 |
The 10 locations below account for 19% of the crime recorded in Barnet over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (1,834).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 1,834 |
| On or near Parking Area | 1,174 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 1,171 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 1,108 |
| On or near Hospital | 478 |
| On or near Police Station | 284 |
| On or near Aerodrome Road | 262 |
| On or near Golders Way | 254 |
| On or near Station Road | 239 |
| On or near Winifred Place | 231 |
Of the 28,609 crimes in Barnet with a recorded outcome, 47% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.3% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 8,670 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 13,447 | 47.0% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 7,037 | 24.6% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 3,490 | 12.2% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 1,979 | 6.9% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 1,522 | 5.3% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 501 | 1.8% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 364 | 1.3% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 78 | 0.3% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 64 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 59 | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 57 | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 9 | 0.0% | 0.5% |
Barnet has an estimated population of 402,167 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more private renting (33%, against 20%), more residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (49%, against 34%) and fewer retired residents (15%, against 22%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Barnet average decile 5.3 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Barnet | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 20.5% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 15.0% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 60.2% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.4% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 14.9% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 9.4% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 49.0% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 15.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 30.0% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 53.7% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 13.4% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 32.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.3 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 0.4% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Barnet a safe place to live?
Barnet recorded 92.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 433rd of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were vehicle crime and robbery.
What is the most common crime in Barnet?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 9,287 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (8,670).
Is crime in Barnet going up or down?
Recorded crime in Barnet was up 5% on the year before: 37,279 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 35,661 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Barnet?
About 402,167 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 15% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Barnet?
Barnet 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.