Crime in Swanley: statistics, rates and trends
1,676 crimes were recorded in Swanley in the 12 months to August 2026, 90.3 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 5% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (573), anti-social behaviour (329) and shoplifting (170) made up 64% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 468th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Swanley | Sevenoaks | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,676 | 7,699 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 90.3 | 62.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +5% | -2% | -1% |
| Population | 18,563 | 122,748 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Swanley peaked in the year to August 2018 (2,198 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (1,590). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 24%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,676 | 90.3 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,590 | 85.7 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,884 | 101.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 2,154 | 116.0 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 2,160 | 116.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 2,184 | 117.7 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 2,138 | 115.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,924 | 103.6 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 2,198 | 118.4 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 160 |
| July 2026 | 138 |
| June 2026 | 145 |
| May 2026 | 177 |
| April 2026 | 127 |
| March 2026 | 154 |
| February 2026 | 122 |
| January 2026 | 119 |
| December 2025 | 139 |
| November 2025 | 131 |
| October 2025 | 143 |
| September 2025 | 121 |
Compared with England and Wales, Swanley recorded notably more drugs (43% above the national rate) and other crime (35% above the national rate), and notably less public order (58% below) and burglary (44% below). On the year before, drugs rose from 55 to 87 and shoplifting rose from 119 to 170, while public order fell from 82 to 52.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 573 | 30.9 | 34.2 | -2% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 329 | 17.7 | 15.4 | +11% |
| Shoplifting | 170 | 9.2 | 8.5 | +43% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 133 | 7.2 | 6.7 | -11% |
| Other theft | 105 | 5.7 | 6.4 | 0% |
| Vehicle crime | 89 | 4.8 | 5.0 | +11% |
| Drugs | 87 | 4.7 | 3.3 | +58% |
| Other crime | 53 | 2.9 | 2.1 | -5% |
| Public order | 52 | 2.8 | 6.7 | -37% |
| Burglary | 37 | 2.0 | 3.6 | -8% |
| Possession of weapons | 21 | 1.1 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Robbery | 21 | 1.1 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 5 | 0.3 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 1 | 0.1 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
2 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Swanley; the highest is Dartford (98.0 per 1,000) and the lowest Otford and Kemsing (36.8).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Swanley |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dartford | 7,106 | 98.0 | +9% |
| Bexley | 20,080 | 78.3 | -13% |
| West Kingsdown | 365 | 59.1 | -35% |
| Stone (Dartford) | 381 | 70.8 | -22% |
| Longfield, New Ash Green and Hartley | 1,034 | 60.3 | -33% |
| Bromley | 28,547 | 87.7 | -3% |
| Otford and Kemsing | 275 | 36.8 | -59% |
| Swanscombe | 1,476 | 92.6 | +3% |
Of the 3 areas within Swanley, Swanley St Mary's had the highest crime rate (141.2 per 1,000) and Swanley Christchurch and Swanley Village the lowest (60.2).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swanley St Mary's | Neighbourhood | 5,091 | 719 | 141.2 |
| Swanley White Oak | Neighbourhood | 6,858 | 559 | 81.5 |
| Swanley Christchurch and Swanley Village | Neighbourhood | 6,614 | 398 | 60.2 |
The 10 locations below account for 39% of the crime recorded in Swanley over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (114).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 114 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 108 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 73 |
| On or near Bartholomew Way | 72 |
| On or near Lilac Gardens | 65 |
| On or near Bevan Place | 60 |
| On or near Cherry Avenue | 56 |
| On or near Sprucedale Close | 41 |
| On or near Supermarket | 35 |
| On or near Alder Way | 29 |
Of the 1,347 crimes in Swanley with a recorded outcome, 36% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 8.9% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 329 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 487 | 36.2% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 412 | 30.6% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 127 | 9.4% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 120 | 8.9% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 54 | 4.0% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 46 | 3.4% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 40 | 3.0% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 20 | 1.5% | 1.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 19 | 1.4% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 13 | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 5 | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 4 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
Swanley has an estimated population of 18,563 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has less private renting (9.9%, against 20.3%), more social housing (26%, against 17%) and fewer students (5.2%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Swanley average decile 4.8 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Swanley | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 20.9% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 18.7% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 58.1% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.3% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 21.8% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.2% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 25.7% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 22.8% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 18.5% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 64.4% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 25.6% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 9.9% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.8 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 10.2% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Swanley a safe place to live?
Swanley recorded 90.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 468th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were drugs and other crime.
What is the most common crime in Swanley?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 573 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (329).
Is crime in Swanley going up or down?
Recorded crime in Swanley was up 5% on the year before: 1,676 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,590 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Swanley?
About 18,563 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 19% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Swanley?
Swanley is policed by Kent.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.