Crime in Kingston upon Thames: statistics, rates and trends
15,017 crimes were recorded in Kingston upon Thames in the 12 months to August 2026, 87.7 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 3% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Kingston upon Thames at a glance
- Crime trends in Kingston upon Thames
- Types of crime in Kingston upon Thames
- Kingston upon Thames compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Kingston upon Thames
- Streets with the most crime in Kingston upon Thames
- What happened after crimes were reported in Kingston upon Thames
- Demographics of Kingston upon Thames
- Questions about crime in Kingston upon Thames
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (4,288), anti-social behaviour (3,323) and shoplifting (1,611) made up 61% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 500th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Kingston upon Thames | Kingston upon Thames | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 15,017 | 15,094 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 87.7 | 87.4 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +3% | +3% | -1% |
| Population | 171,192 | 172,692 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Kingston upon Thames peaked in the year to August 2020 (16,449 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2024 (14,572). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 3%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 15,017 | 87.7 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 14,585 | 85.2 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 14,572 | 85.1 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 14,959 | 87.4 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 14,907 | 87.1 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 15,608 | 91.2 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 16,449 | 96.1 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 15,633 | 91.3 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 14,607 | 85.3 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 1,319 |
| July 2026 | 1,388 |
| June 2026 | 1,196 |
| May 2026 | 1,213 |
| April 2026 | 1,226 |
| March 2026 | 1,340 |
| February 2026 | 1,157 |
| January 2026 | 1,081 |
| December 2025 | 1,208 |
| November 2025 | 1,309 |
| October 2025 | 1,396 |
| September 2025 | 1,184 |
Compared with England and Wales, Kingston upon Thames recorded notably more bicycle theft (92% above the national rate), theft from the person (37% above the national rate) and drugs (30% above the national rate), and notably less criminal damage and arson (53% below) and other crime (52% below). On the year before, possession of weapons rose from 69 to 97 and drugs rose from 613 to 730, while criminal damage and arson fell from 842 to 544 and burglary fell from 597 to 502.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 4,288 | 25.0 | 34.2 | +19% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 3,323 | 19.4 | 15.4 | 0% |
| Shoplifting | 1,611 | 9.4 | 8.5 | +2% |
| Vehicle crime | 979 | 5.7 | 5.0 | +5% |
| Other theft | 961 | 5.6 | 6.4 | -5% |
| Public order | 897 | 5.2 | 6.7 | +4% |
| Drugs | 730 | 4.3 | 3.3 | +19% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 544 | 3.2 | 6.7 | -35% |
| Burglary | 502 | 2.9 | 3.6 | -16% |
| Theft from the person | 396 | 2.3 | 1.7 | -14% |
| Bicycle theft | 271 | 1.6 | 0.8 | -6% |
| Robbery | 245 | 1.4 | 1.4 | +16% |
| Other crime | 173 | 1.0 | 2.1 | -7% |
| Possession of weapons | 97 | 0.6 | 1.0 | +41% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Kingston upon Thames; the highest is Epsom (111.2 per 1,000) and the lowest Worcester Park and Stoneleigh (43.8).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Kingston upon Thames |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester Park and Stoneleigh | 668 | 43.8 | -50% |
| West Molesey | 2,388 | 49.4 | -44% |
| Ewell | 2,517 | 76.8 | -12% |
| Esher | 564 | 60.1 | -32% |
| Richmond upon Thames | 14,101 | 73.0 | -17% |
| Merton | 16,220 | 74.2 | -15% |
| Epsom | 3,917 | 111.2 | +27% |
| Sutton (Sutton) | 16,658 | 78.0 | -11% |
Of the 19 areas within Kingston upon Thames, Kingston Town had the highest crime rate (410.9 per 1,000) and Tudor the lowest (28.4), 14 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingston Town | Neighbourhood | 11,033 | 4,533 | 410.9 |
| Tolworth | Neighbourhood | 12,849 | 1,307 | 101.7 |
| St Mark's & Seething Wells | Neighbourhood | 12,666 | 1,107 | 87.4 |
| New Malden Village | Neighbourhood | 10,598 | 856 | 80.8 |
| Canbury Gardens | Neighbourhood | 8,239 | 657 | 79.7 |
| King George's & Sunray | Neighbourhood | 6,961 | 528 | 75.9 |
| Coombe Hill | Neighbourhood | 7,179 | 506 | 70.5 |
| Norbiton | Neighbourhood | 11,794 | 824 | 69.9 |
| Hook & Chessington North | Neighbourhood | 9,301 | 646 | 69.5 |
| Surbiton Hill | Neighbourhood | 13,245 | 875 | 66.1 |
| Chessington South & Malden Rushett | Neighbourhood | 10,549 | 686 | 65.0 |
| Old Malden | Neighbourhood | 6,508 | 398 | 61.2 |
| Green Lane & St James | Neighbourhood | 5,150 | 291 | 56.5 |
| Kingston Gate | Neighbourhood | 11,059 | 611 | 55.2 |
| Motspur Park & Old Malden East | Neighbourhood | 8,020 | 333 | 41.5 |
| Berrylands | Neighbourhood | 4,815 | 186 | 38.6 |
| Alexandra | Neighbourhood | 4,558 | 165 | 36.2 |
| Coombe Vale | Neighbourhood | 9,907 | 350 | 35.3 |
| Tudor | Neighbourhood | 8,261 | 235 | 28.4 |
The 10 locations below account for 28% of the crime recorded in Kingston upon Thames over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Shopping Area” (995).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Shopping Area | 995 |
| On or near Supermarket | 756 |
| On or near Parking Area | 743 |
| On or near Nightclub | 493 |
| On or near Clarence Street | 383 |
| On or near Theatre/Concert Hall | 241 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 183 |
| On or near Station Approach | 163 |
| On or near Castle Street | 136 |
| On or near Eden Street | 120 |
Of the 11,694 crimes in Kingston upon Thames with a recorded outcome, 43% 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 3,323 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 5,040 | 43.1% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 3,459 | 29.6% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 1,187 | 10.2% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 602 | 5.1% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 491 | 4.2% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 382 | 3.3% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 318 | 2.7% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 84 | 0.7% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 66 | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 40 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 18 | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 7 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Kingston upon Thames has an estimated population of 171,192 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (51%, against 34%), more private renting (27%, against 20%) and less social housing (11%, against 17%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Kingston upon Thames average decile 7.6 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Kingston upon Thames | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.0% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 15.0% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 62.1% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.9% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 16.1% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 10.4% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 51.5% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 11.9% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 25.8% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 61.3% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 11.1% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 27.4% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 7.6 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Kingston upon Thames a safe place to live?
Kingston upon Thames recorded 87.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 500th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were bicycle theft and theft from the person.
What is the most common crime in Kingston upon Thames?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 4,288 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (3,323).
Is crime in Kingston upon Thames going up or down?
Recorded crime in Kingston upon Thames was up 3% on the year before: 15,017 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 14,585 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Kingston upon Thames?
About 171,192 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 15% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Kingston upon Thames?
Kingston upon Thames 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.