Crime in City of Westminster: statistics, rates and trends
86,028 crimes were recorded in City of Westminster in the 12 months to August 2026, 409.7 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 15% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in City of Westminster at a glance
- Crime trends in City of Westminster
- Types of crime in City of Westminster
- City of Westminster compared with nearby towns
- Areas within City of Westminster
- Streets with the most crime in City of Westminster
- What happened after crimes were reported in City of Westminster
- Demographics of City of Westminster
- Questions about crime in City of Westminster
- About this data
Crime map
Theft from the person (17,267), other theft (14,831) and anti-social behaviour (13,281) made up 53% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 2nd of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | City of Westminster | Westminster | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 86,028 | 86,028 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 409.7 | 409.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -15% | -15% | -1% |
| Population | 209,996 | 209,996 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in City of Westminster peaked in the year to August 2024 (103,508 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2021 (58,377). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 20%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 86,028 | 409.7 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 101,369 | 482.7 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 103,508 | 492.9 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 98,155 | 467.4 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 80,912 | 385.3 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 58,377 | 278.0 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 73,338 | 349.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 90,311 | 430.1 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 71,758 | 341.7 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 6,677 |
| July 2026 | 7,217 |
| June 2026 | 6,719 |
| May 2026 | 6,545 |
| April 2026 | 6,555 |
| March 2026 | 6,439 |
| February 2026 | 6,422 |
| January 2026 | 7,023 |
| December 2025 | 8,778 |
| November 2025 | 8,445 |
| October 2025 | 7,853 |
| September 2025 | 7,355 |
Compared with England and Wales, City of Westminster recorded notably more theft from the person (48.9 times the national rate), other theft (11.0 times the national rate) and robbery (9.4 times the national rate). On the year before, possession of weapons rose from 248 to 451 and shoplifting rose from 7,270 to 9,388, while theft from the person fell from 29,627 to 17,267 and criminal damage and arson fell from 2,439 to 1,555.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theft from the person | 17,267 | 82.2 | 1.7 | -42% |
| Other theft | 14,831 | 70.6 | 6.4 | -15% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 13,281 | 63.2 | 15.4 | -3% |
| Violence and sexual offences | 12,919 | 61.5 | 34.2 | +1% |
| Shoplifting | 9,388 | 44.7 | 8.5 | +29% |
| Public order | 3,822 | 18.2 | 6.7 | +13% |
| Drugs | 3,029 | 14.4 | 3.3 | +23% |
| Vehicle crime | 2,724 | 13.0 | 5.0 | -32% |
| Robbery | 2,677 | 12.7 | 1.4 | -25% |
| Burglary | 2,574 | 12.3 | 3.6 | -11% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,555 | 7.4 | 6.7 | -36% |
| Bicycle theft | 1,023 | 4.9 | 0.8 | +3% |
| Other crime | 487 | 2.3 | 2.1 | -5% |
| Possession of weapons | 451 | 2.1 | 1.0 | +82% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than City of Westminster; the highest is City and County of the City of London (639.5 per 1,000) and the lowest Wandsworth (98.4).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs City of Westminster |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kensington and Chelsea | 24,987 | 172.9 | -58% |
| Camden | 46,472 | 217.4 | -47% |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | 26,183 | 138.8 | -66% |
| City and County of the City of London | 9,663 | 639.5 | +56% |
| Islington | 41,297 | 185.2 | -55% |
| Wandsworth | 33,210 | 98.4 | -76% |
| Lambeth | 48,676 | 154.4 | -62% |
| Southwark | 49,295 | 156.6 | -62% |
Of the 18 areas within City of Westminster, West End had the highest crime rate (2,201.9 per 1,000) and Abbey Road the lowest (74.9), 29 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West End | Neighbourhood | 11,391 | 25,082 | 2,201.9 |
| St James's | Neighbourhood | 11,452 | 20,108 | 1,755.9 |
| Marylebone | Neighbourhood | 14,594 | 9,393 | 643.6 |
| Knightsbridge & Belgravia | Neighbourhood | 11,905 | 4,109 | 345.1 |
| Hyde Park | Neighbourhood | 9,237 | 2,455 | 265.8 |
| Pimlico North | Neighbourhood | 10,953 | 2,814 | 256.9 |
| Lancaster Gate | Neighbourhood | 11,288 | 2,739 | 242.6 |
| Vincent Square | Neighbourhood | 10,377 | 2,514 | 242.3 |
| Bayswater | Neighbourhood | 12,302 | 2,697 | 219.2 |
| Regent's Park | Neighbourhood | 12,973 | 2,418 | 186.4 |
| Church Street | Neighbourhood | 12,216 | 2,160 | 176.8 |
| Harrow Road | Neighbourhood | 10,620 | 1,773 | 166.9 |
| Maida Vale | Neighbourhood | 13,314 | 1,898 | 142.6 |
| Westbourne | Neighbourhood | 11,667 | 1,497 | 128.3 |
| Little Venice | Neighbourhood | 11,047 | 1,164 | 105.4 |
| Pimlico South | Neighbourhood | 9,496 | 992 | 104.5 |
| Queen's Park | Neighbourhood | 12,477 | 1,265 | 101.4 |
| Abbey Road | Neighbourhood | 12,687 | 950 | 74.9 |
The 10 locations below account for 26% of the crime recorded in City of Westminster over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Nightclub” (5,362).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Nightclub | 5,362 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 3,627 |
| On or near Parking Area | 3,413 |
| On or near Theatre/Concert Hall | 2,863 |
| On or near Further/Higher Educational Building | 2,294 |
| On or near Hills Place | 1,138 |
| On or near Supermarket | 1,110 |
| On or near Hospital | 907 |
| On or near Dering Street | 887 |
| On or near Police Station | 833 |
Of the 72,747 crimes in City of Westminster with a recorded outcome, 64% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.7% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 13,281 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 46,349 | 63.7% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 9,649 | 13.3% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 7,714 | 10.6% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 3,558 | 4.9% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 2,658 | 3.7% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 1,203 | 1.7% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 891 | 1.2% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 187 | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 177 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 157 | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 145 | 0.2% | 1.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 55 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
City of Westminster has an estimated population of 209,996 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more households without a car (66%, against 23%), more private renting (43%, against 20%) and more students (13.6%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up City of Westminster average decile 4.7 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | City of Westminster | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 12.5% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 12.6% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 57.3% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.8% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 10.9% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 13.6% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 57.7% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 12.9% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 66.2% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 28.1% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 28.3% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 43.3% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.7 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 9.9% | 10.1% (England) |
Is City of Westminster a safe place to live?
City of Westminster recorded 409.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 2nd 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 other theft.
What is the most common crime in City of Westminster?
Theft from the person was the most common category, with 17,267 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by other theft (14,831).
Is crime in City of Westminster going up or down?
Recorded crime in City of Westminster was down 15% on the year before: 86,028 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 101,369 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of City of Westminster?
About 209,996 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 13% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers City of Westminster?
City of Westminster 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.