Crime in Lewisham: statistics, rates and trends
36,926 crimes were recorded in Lewisham in the 12 months to August 2026, 122.6 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 3% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Lewisham at a glance
- Crime trends in Lewisham
- Types of crime in Lewisham
- Lewisham compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Lewisham
- Streets with the most crime in Lewisham
- What happened after crimes were reported in Lewisham
- Demographics of Lewisham
- Questions about crime in Lewisham
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (11,212), anti-social behaviour (7,039) and shoplifting (3,267) made up 58% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 160th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Lewisham | Lewisham | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 36,926 | 36,926 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 122.6 | 122.6 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +3% | +3% | -1% |
| Population | 301,255 | 301,255 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Lewisham peaked in the year to August 2020 (38,264 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (31,376). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 18%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 36,926 | 122.6 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 36,023 | 119.6 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 35,914 | 119.2 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 35,627 | 118.3 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 34,660 | 115.1 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 36,209 | 120.2 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 38,264 | 127.0 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 34,251 | 113.7 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 31,376 | 104.2 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 3,129 |
| July 2026 | 3,537 |
| June 2026 | 3,294 |
| May 2026 | 3,364 |
| April 2026 | 3,060 |
| March 2026 | 2,977 |
| February 2026 | 2,820 |
| January 2026 | 2,839 |
| December 2025 | 2,813 |
| November 2025 | 3,004 |
| October 2025 | 3,170 |
| September 2025 | 2,919 |
Compared with England and Wales, Lewisham recorded notably more robbery (2.6 times the national rate), theft from the person (2.4 times the national rate) and vehicle crime (76% above the national rate), and notably less criminal damage and arson (36% below) and other crime (33% below). On the year before, shoplifting rose from 1,981 to 3,267 and possession of weapons rose from 239 to 350, while criminal damage and arson fell from 2,041 to 1,306 and theft from the person fell from 1,505 to 1,232.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 11,212 | 37.2 | 34.2 | +11% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 7,039 | 23.4 | 15.4 | -2% |
| Shoplifting | 3,267 | 10.8 | 8.5 | +65% |
| Vehicle crime | 2,630 | 8.7 | 5.0 | -8% |
| Other theft | 2,509 | 8.3 | 6.4 | -3% |
| Public order | 2,240 | 7.4 | 6.7 | +3% |
| Drugs | 1,682 | 5.6 | 3.3 | -18% |
| Burglary | 1,602 | 5.3 | 3.6 | +7% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,306 | 4.3 | 6.7 | -36% |
| Theft from the person | 1,232 | 4.1 | 1.7 | -18% |
| Robbery | 1,072 | 3.6 | 1.4 | +7% |
| Other crime | 426 | 1.4 | 2.1 | -3% |
| Bicycle theft | 359 | 1.2 | 0.8 | +12% |
| Possession of weapons | 350 | 1.2 | 1.0 | +46% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
5 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Lewisham; the highest is City and County of the City of London (639.5 per 1,000) and the lowest Bromley (87.7).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Lewisham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwark | 49,295 | 156.6 | +28% |
| Greenwich | 33,637 | 113.6 | -7% |
| Lambeth | 48,676 | 154.4 | +26% |
| Tower Hamlets | 48,202 | 145.2 | +18% |
| Bromley | 28,547 | 87.7 | -28% |
| City and County of the City of London | 9,663 | 639.5 | +422% |
| Newham | 50,823 | 135.7 | +11% |
| Croydon | 41,898 | 103.3 | -16% |
Of the 19 areas within Lewisham, Lewisham Central had the highest crime rate (262.4 per 1,000) and Telegraph Hill the lowest (78.6), 3 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lewisham Central | Neighbourhood | 10,287 | 2,699 | 262.4 |
| Rushey Green | Neighbourhood | 20,507 | 3,824 | 186.5 |
| Blackheath | Neighbourhood | 16,869 | 3,142 | 186.3 |
| Deptford | Neighbourhood | 14,374 | 2,616 | 182.0 |
| Bellingham | Neighbourhood | 10,604 | 1,578 | 148.8 |
| Ladywell | Neighbourhood | 11,692 | 1,642 | 140.4 |
| Catford South | Neighbourhood | 17,368 | 2,137 | 123.0 |
| Sydenham | Neighbourhood | 16,327 | 1,939 | 118.8 |
| New Cross Gate | Neighbourhood | 12,289 | 1,369 | 111.4 |
| Brockley | Neighbourhood | 21,472 | 2,347 | 109.3 |
| Evelyn | Neighbourhood | 14,040 | 1,484 | 105.7 |
| Downham | Neighbourhood | 19,212 | 1,975 | 102.8 |
| Hither Green | Neighbourhood | 19,958 | 1,942 | 97.3 |
| Perry Vale | Neighbourhood | 19,295 | 1,740 | 90.2 |
| Crofton Park | Neighbourhood | 15,374 | 1,373 | 89.3 |
| Grove Park | Neighbourhood | 15,507 | 1,340 | 86.4 |
| Lee Green | Neighbourhood | 14,691 | 1,235 | 84.1 |
| Forest Hill | Neighbourhood | 15,165 | 1,268 | 83.6 |
| Telegraph Hill | Neighbourhood | 16,224 | 1,276 | 78.6 |
The 10 locations below account for 18% of the crime recorded in Lewisham over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (1,799).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 1,799 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 1,627 |
| On or near Parking Area | 631 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 610 |
| On or near Police Station | 485 |
| On or near Theatre/Concert Hall | 422 |
| On or near Oldstead Road | 389 |
| On or near Catford Broadway | 276 |
| On or near Eastdown Park | 269 |
| On or near New Cross Road | 232 |
Of the 29,887 crimes in Lewisham with a recorded outcome, 41% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 6.5% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 7,039 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 12,186 | 40.8% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 9,092 | 30.4% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 3,481 | 11.6% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 1,936 | 6.5% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 1,643 | 5.5% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 667 | 2.2% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 478 | 1.6% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 157 | 0.5% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 87 | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 73 | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 59 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 26 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Lewisham has an estimated population of 301,255 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more households without a car (48%, against 23%), more social housing (29%, against 17%) and more unemployed residents (5.7%, against 3.4%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Lewisham average decile 4.1 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Lewisham | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.3% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 10.3% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 64.2% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 5.7% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 10.5% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 9.5% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 49.8% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 14.6% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 47.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 43.4% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 29.2% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 27.2% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.1 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 1.8% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Lewisham a safe place to live?
Lewisham recorded 122.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 160th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were robbery and theft from the person.
What is the most common crime in Lewisham?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 11,212 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (7,039).
Is crime in Lewisham going up or down?
Recorded crime in Lewisham was up 3% on the year before: 36,926 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 36,023 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Lewisham?
About 301,255 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 10% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Lewisham?
Lewisham 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.