Crime in Brent: statistics, rates and trends
42,469 crimes were recorded in Brent in the 12 months to August 2026, 121.0 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 1% on the year before.
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (11,213), anti-social behaviour (10,109) and other theft (3,107) made up 58% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 172nd of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Brent | Brent | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 42,469 | 42,565 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 121.0 | 120.6 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -1% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 351,017 | 352,976 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Brent peaked in the year to August 2025 (43,090 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (38,310). 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 | 42,469 | 121.0 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 43,090 | 122.8 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 42,074 | 119.9 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 39,518 | 112.6 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 38,797 | 110.5 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 40,325 | 114.9 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 41,548 | 118.4 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 38,865 | 110.7 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 38,310 | 109.1 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 3,356 |
| July 2026 | 3,811 |
| June 2026 | 3,619 |
| May 2026 | 3,873 |
| April 2026 | 3,637 |
| March 2026 | 3,614 |
| February 2026 | 3,205 |
| January 2026 | 3,108 |
| December 2025 | 3,193 |
| November 2025 | 3,432 |
| October 2025 | 3,992 |
| September 2025 | 3,629 |
Compared with England and Wales, Brent recorded notably more theft from the person (3.3 times the national rate), robbery (2.7 times the national rate) and drugs (2.2 times the national rate), and notably less criminal damage and arson (40% below) and other crime (36% below). On the year before, possession of weapons rose from 201 to 323, while criminal damage and arson fell from 1,964 to 1,418 and shoplifting fell from 3,468 to 2,814.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 11,213 | 31.9 | 34.2 | +8% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 10,109 | 28.8 | 15.4 | -3% |
| Other theft | 3,107 | 8.9 | 6.4 | 0% |
| Vehicle crime | 2,874 | 8.2 | 5.0 | -6% |
| Shoplifting | 2,814 | 8.0 | 8.5 | -19% |
| Drugs | 2,500 | 7.1 | 3.3 | +5% |
| Public order | 2,344 | 6.7 | 6.7 | +8% |
| Theft from the person | 1,934 | 5.5 | 1.7 | -18% |
| Burglary | 1,764 | 5.0 | 3.6 | +9% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,418 | 4.0 | 6.7 | -28% |
| Robbery | 1,291 | 3.7 | 1.4 | +5% |
| Other crime | 477 | 1.4 | 2.1 | +13% |
| Possession of weapons | 323 | 0.9 | 1.0 | +61% |
| Bicycle theft | 301 | 0.9 | 0.8 | +14% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
5 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Brent; the highest is City of Westminster (409.7 per 1,000) and the lowest Harrow (81.7).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Brent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ealing | 43,273 | 113.1 | -7% |
| Harrow | 21,983 | 81.7 | -32% |
| Barnet | 37,279 | 92.7 | -23% |
| Camden | 46,472 | 217.4 | +80% |
| Kensington and Chelsea | 24,987 | 172.9 | +43% |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | 26,183 | 138.8 | +15% |
| City of Westminster | 86,028 | 409.7 | +239% |
| Islington | 41,297 | 185.2 | +53% |
Of the 22 areas within Brent, Kilburn had the highest crime rate (200.0 per 1,000) and Northwick Park the lowest (44.7), 4 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kilburn | Neighbourhood | 16,444 | 3,289 | 200.0 |
| Roundwood | Neighbourhood | 17,049 | 2,836 | 166.3 |
| Barnhill | Neighbourhood | 9,836 | 1,628 | 165.5 |
| Harlesden & Kensal Green | Neighbourhood | 19,628 | 3,242 | 165.2 |
| Wembley Park | Neighbourhood | 15,419 | 2,528 | 164.0 |
| Wembley Hill | Neighbourhood | 16,683 | 2,585 | 154.9 |
| Willesden Green | Neighbourhood | 19,577 | 2,993 | 152.9 |
| Stonebridge | Neighbourhood | 21,899 | 3,143 | 143.5 |
| Queens Park | Neighbourhood | 17,050 | 2,007 | 117.7 |
| Dollis Hill | Neighbourhood | 21,950 | 2,492 | 113.5 |
| Alperton | Neighbourhood | 17,106 | 1,937 | 113.2 |
| Wembley Central | Neighbourhood | 16,846 | 1,877 | 111.4 |
| Queensbury | Neighbourhood | 17,961 | 1,815 | 101.1 |
| Cricklewood & Mapesbury | Neighbourhood | 14,437 | 1,454 | 100.7 |
| Brondesbury Park | Neighbourhood | 13,364 | 1,284 | 96.1 |
| Kenton | Neighbourhood | 20,285 | 1,888 | 93.1 |
| Kingsbury | Neighbourhood | 10,616 | 927 | 87.3 |
| Tokyngton | Neighbourhood | 10,460 | 802 | 76.7 |
| Welsh Harp | Neighbourhood | 18,636 | 1,395 | 74.9 |
| Preston | Neighbourhood | 11,617 | 846 | 72.8 |
| Sudbury | Neighbourhood | 15,346 | 1,116 | 72.7 |
| Northwick Park | Neighbourhood | 10,767 | 481 | 44.7 |
The 10 locations below account for 22% of the crime recorded in Brent over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Shopping Area” (2,216).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Shopping Area | 2,216 |
| On or near Supermarket | 1,753 |
| On or near Parking Area | 1,518 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 1,091 |
| On or near High Road | 577 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 565 |
| On or near St Mark'S Close | 462 |
| On or near Cavendish Road | 362 |
| On or near Dukes Way | 332 |
| On or near Bridge Road | 320 |
Of the 32,360 crimes in Brent with a recorded outcome, 43% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.8% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 10,109 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 13,972 | 43.2% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 8,428 | 26.0% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 4,441 | 13.7% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 2,391 | 7.4% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 1,545 | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 638 | 2.0% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 542 | 1.7% | 2.5% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 151 | 0.5% | 0.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 92 | 0.3% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 81 | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 54 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 23 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Brent has an estimated population of 351,017 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more households without a car (44%, against 23%), more private renting (36%, against 20%) and fewer retired residents (12%, against 22%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Brent average decile 3.5 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Brent | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.8% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 12.2% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 58.5% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 5.4% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 12.1% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 11.2% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 40.0% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 21.7% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 44.1% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 40.3% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 23.5% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 36.0% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.5 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 15.2% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Brent a safe place to live?
Brent recorded 121.0 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 172nd of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were theft from the person and robbery.
What is the most common crime in Brent?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 11,213 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (10,109).
Is crime in Brent going up or down?
Recorded crime in Brent was down 1% on the year before: 42,469 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 43,090 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Brent?
About 351,017 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 12% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Brent?
Brent 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.