Crime in Bexley: statistics, rates and trends
20,080 crimes were recorded in Bexley in the 12 months to August 2026, 78.3 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 2% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (6,210), anti-social behaviour (4,233) and vehicle crime (1,662) made up 60% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 645th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Bexley | Bexley | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 20,080 | 20,080 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 78.3 | 78.3 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +2% | +2% | -1% |
| Population | 256,434 | 256,434 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Bexley peaked in the year to August 2020 (22,852 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (19,171). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 5%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 20,080 | 78.3 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 19,679 | 76.7 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 20,585 | 80.3 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 19,844 | 77.4 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 20,192 | 78.7 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 20,743 | 80.9 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 22,852 | 89.1 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 21,243 | 82.8 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 19,171 | 74.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 1,702 |
| July 2026 | 1,900 |
| June 2026 | 1,846 |
| May 2026 | 1,736 |
| April 2026 | 1,624 |
| March 2026 | 1,706 |
| February 2026 | 1,476 |
| January 2026 | 1,516 |
| December 2025 | 1,593 |
| November 2025 | 1,613 |
| October 2025 | 1,727 |
| September 2025 | 1,641 |
Compared with England and Wales, Bexley recorded notably more vehicle crime (30% above the national rate), and notably less bicycle theft (72% below) and possession of weapons (51% below). On the year before, possession of weapons rose from 87 to 123 and robbery rose from 325 to 410, while criminal damage and arson fell from 1,621 to 1,029 and theft from the person fell from 292 to 243.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 6,210 | 24.2 | 34.2 | +8% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 4,233 | 16.5 | 15.4 | +17% |
| Vehicle crime | 1,662 | 6.5 | 5.0 | -9% |
| Shoplifting | 1,648 | 6.4 | 8.5 | -9% |
| Public order | 1,282 | 5.0 | 6.7 | +16% |
| Other theft | 1,225 | 4.8 | 6.4 | +1% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,029 | 4.0 | 6.7 | -37% |
| Drugs | 874 | 3.4 | 3.3 | -5% |
| Burglary | 801 | 3.1 | 3.6 | +12% |
| Robbery | 410 | 1.6 | 1.4 | +26% |
| Other crime | 280 | 1.1 | 2.1 | -11% |
| Theft from the person | 243 | 0.9 | 1.7 | -17% |
| Possession of weapons | 123 | 0.5 | 1.0 | +41% |
| Bicycle theft | 60 | 0.2 | 0.8 | -14% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
6 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Bexley; the highest is Newham (135.7 per 1,000) and the lowest Stone (Dartford) (70.8).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Bexley |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenwich | 33,637 | 113.6 | +45% |
| Dartford | 7,106 | 98.0 | +25% |
| Purfleet-on-Thames | 448 | 81.3 | +4% |
| Swanley | 1,676 | 90.3 | +15% |
| Aveley | 760 | 78.2 | 0% |
| Barking and Dagenham | 23,482 | 102.4 | +31% |
| Stone (Dartford) | 381 | 70.8 | -10% |
| Newham | 50,823 | 135.7 | +73% |
Of the 17 areas within Bexley, Bexleyheath had the highest crime rate (148.1 per 1,000) and Blackfen & Lamorbey the lowest (43.6), 3 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bexleyheath | Neighbourhood | 16,459 | 2,437 | 148.1 |
| Erith | Neighbourhood | 16,952 | 2,006 | 118.3 |
| Slade Green & Northend | Neighbourhood | 14,760 | 1,459 | 98.8 |
| Thamesmead East | Neighbourhood | 16,280 | 1,581 | 97.1 |
| Belvedere | Neighbourhood | 18,177 | 1,744 | 95.9 |
| Crayford | Neighbourhood | 16,898 | 1,479 | 87.5 |
| Sidcup | Neighbourhood | 16,214 | 1,266 | 78.1 |
| Falconwood & Welling | Neighbourhood | 17,574 | 1,282 | 72.9 |
| Northumberland Heath | Neighbourhood | 11,444 | 827 | 72.3 |
| Crook Log | Neighbourhood | 17,550 | 1,191 | 67.9 |
| St Mary's & St James | Neighbourhood | 12,026 | 805 | 66.9 |
| Longlands | Neighbourhood | 10,798 | 703 | 65.1 |
| West Heath | Neighbourhood | 14,376 | 695 | 48.3 |
| Blendon & Penhill | Neighbourhood | 15,442 | 725 | 46.9 |
| East Wickham | Neighbourhood | 16,961 | 790 | 46.6 |
| Barnehurst | Neighbourhood | 9,884 | 452 | 45.7 |
| Blackfen & Lamorbey | Neighbourhood | 14,639 | 638 | 43.6 |
The 10 locations below account for 20% of the crime recorded in Bexley over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (1,144).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 1,144 |
| On or near Parking Area | 925 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 477 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 456 |
| On or near Police Station | 212 |
| On or near Welling High Street | 193 |
| On or near Station Road North | 178 |
| On or near Wrotham Road | 172 |
| On or near Tavy Bridge | 134 |
| On or near Further/Higher Educational Building | 123 |
Of the 15,847 crimes in Bexley with a recorded outcome, 40% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.2% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 4,233 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 6,378 | 40.2% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 5,201 | 32.8% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 1,824 | 11.5% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 880 | 5.6% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 665 | 4.2% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 322 | 2.0% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 287 | 1.8% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 179 | 1.1% | 1.3% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 39 | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Offender given a caution | 33 | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 21 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 16 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Bexley has an estimated population of 256,434 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has less private renting (15%, against 20%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Bexley average decile 6.6 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Bexley | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 20.2% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 16.6% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 60.2% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.8% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 20.0% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 7.2% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 31.6% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 18.2% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 22.4% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 70.0% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 14.7% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 15.3% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.6 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Bexley a safe place to live?
Bexley recorded 78.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 645th of the 1,390 towns 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 Bexley?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 6,210 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (4,233).
Is crime in Bexley going up or down?
Recorded crime in Bexley was up 2% on the year before: 20,080 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 19,679 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Bexley?
About 256,434 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 17% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Bexley?
Bexley 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.