Crime in Tower Hamlets: statistics, rates and trends
48,202 crimes were recorded in Tower Hamlets in the 12 months to August 2026, 145.2 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 2% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Tower Hamlets at a glance
- Crime trends in Tower Hamlets
- Types of crime in Tower Hamlets
- Tower Hamlets compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Tower Hamlets
- Streets with the most crime in Tower Hamlets
- What happened after crimes were reported in Tower Hamlets
- Demographics of Tower Hamlets
- Questions about crime in Tower Hamlets
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (11,968), anti-social behaviour (10,671) and shoplifting (3,975) made up 55% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 79th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Tower Hamlets | Tower Hamlets | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 48,202 | 48,202 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 145.2 | 145.2 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +2% | +2% | -1% |
| Population | 331,886 | 331,886 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Tower Hamlets peaked in the year to August 2020 (52,225 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (44,742). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 8%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 48,202 | 145.2 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 47,139 | 142.0 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 47,027 | 141.7 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 44,825 | 135.1 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 46,253 | 139.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 52,138 | 157.1 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 52,225 | 157.4 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 47,943 | 144.5 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 44,742 | 134.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 4,486 |
| July 2026 | 4,488 |
| June 2026 | 4,221 |
| May 2026 | 4,521 |
| April 2026 | 3,913 |
| March 2026 | 3,838 |
| February 2026 | 3,427 |
| January 2026 | 3,401 |
| December 2025 | 3,823 |
| November 2025 | 3,973 |
| October 2025 | 4,092 |
| September 2025 | 4,019 |
Compared with England and Wales, Tower Hamlets recorded notably more theft from the person (5.1 times the national rate), bicycle theft (3.9 times the national rate) and robbery (2.9 times the national rate), and notably less criminal damage and arson (38% below) and other crime (33% below). On the year before, shoplifting rose from 2,801 to 3,975 and possession of weapons rose from 221 to 286, while criminal damage and arson fell from 2,021 to 1,382.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 11,968 | 36.1 | 34.2 | +7% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 10,671 | 32.2 | 15.4 | -8% |
| Shoplifting | 3,975 | 12.0 | 8.5 | +42% |
| Other theft | 3,856 | 11.6 | 6.4 | +2% |
| Theft from the person | 2,838 | 8.6 | 1.7 | 0% |
| Public order | 2,754 | 8.3 | 6.7 | +10% |
| Vehicle crime | 2,627 | 7.9 | 5.0 | +1% |
| Drugs | 2,559 | 7.7 | 3.3 | +3% |
| Burglary | 2,445 | 7.4 | 3.6 | +11% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,382 | 4.2 | 6.7 | -32% |
| Robbery | 1,307 | 3.9 | 1.4 | -1% |
| Bicycle theft | 1,066 | 3.2 | 0.8 | -2% |
| Other crime | 468 | 1.4 | 2.1 | -8% |
| Possession of weapons | 286 | 0.9 | 1.0 | +29% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
4 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Tower Hamlets; the highest is City and County of the City of London (639.5 per 1,000) and the lowest Waltham Forest (105.3).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Tower Hamlets |
|---|---|---|---|
| City and County of the City of London | 9,663 | 639.5 | +340% |
| Hackney | 38,918 | 145.9 | 0% |
| Southwark | 49,295 | 156.6 | +8% |
| Newham | 50,823 | 135.7 | -7% |
| Islington | 41,297 | 185.2 | +27% |
| Lewisham | 36,926 | 122.6 | -16% |
| Greenwich | 33,637 | 113.6 | -22% |
| Waltham Forest | 29,459 | 105.3 | -27% |
Of the 20 areas within Tower Hamlets, Spitalfields & Banglatown had the highest crime rate (247.5 per 1,000) and Island Gardens the lowest (77.8), 3 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spitalfields & Banglatown | Neighbourhood | 13,630 | 3,373 | 247.5 |
| Canary Wharf | Neighbourhood | 20,250 | 3,799 | 187.6 |
| Weavers | Neighbourhood | 14,265 | 2,618 | 183.5 |
| Bethnal Green East | Neighbourhood | 25,105 | 4,281 | 170.5 |
| Bethnal Green West | Neighbourhood | 19,522 | 3,307 | 169.4 |
| Poplar | Neighbourhood | 6,988 | 1,182 | 169.1 |
| Bromley North | Neighbourhood | 12,703 | 1,937 | 152.5 |
| Whitechapel | Neighbourhood | 20,812 | 3,157 | 151.7 |
| St Katharine's & Wapping | Neighbourhood | 11,817 | 1,743 | 147.5 |
| Limehouse | Neighbourhood | 6,496 | 958 | 147.5 |
| Mile End | Neighbourhood | 24,916 | 3,537 | 142.0 |
| Lansbury | Neighbourhood | 22,734 | 3,136 | 137.9 |
| Bow West | Neighbourhood | 14,306 | 1,938 | 135.5 |
| Bow East | Neighbourhood | 20,814 | 2,776 | 133.4 |
| Stepney Green | Neighbourhood | 13,911 | 1,854 | 133.3 |
| Shadwell | Neighbourhood | 14,830 | 1,917 | 129.3 |
| St Dunstan's | Neighbourhood | 13,592 | 1,520 | 111.8 |
| Bromley South | Neighbourhood | 14,148 | 1,470 | 103.9 |
| Blackwall & Cubitt Town | Neighbourhood | 25,901 | 2,520 | 97.3 |
| Island Gardens | Neighbourhood | 15,146 | 1,179 | 77.8 |
The 10 locations below account for 13% of the crime recorded in Tower Hamlets over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (1,358).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 1,358 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 973 |
| On or near Parking Area | 691 |
| On or near Further/Higher Educational Building | 669 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 611 |
| On or near Canary Wharf | 472 |
| On or near Stepney Green | 381 |
| On or near Mare Street | 336 |
| On or near Hospital | 332 |
| On or near Police Station | 312 |
Of the 37,531 crimes in Tower Hamlets with a recorded outcome, 49% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.1% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 10,671 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 18,341 | 48.9% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 8,362 | 22.3% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 4,373 | 11.7% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 2,694 | 7.2% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 1,531 | 4.1% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 925 | 2.5% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 663 | 1.8% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 301 | 0.8% | 1.3% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 157 | 0.4% | 0.1% |
| Offender given a caution | 72 | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 65 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 26 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Tower Hamlets has an estimated population of 331,886 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more households without a car (66%, against 23%), more social housing (36%, against 17%) and more private renting (38%, against 20%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Tower Hamlets average decile 3.4 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Tower Hamlets | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 16.9% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 5.9% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 61.5% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 6.0% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 5.8% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 13.6% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 50.3% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 16.2% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 66.4% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 25.7% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 35.9% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 38.2% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.4 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 12.5% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Tower Hamlets a safe place to live?
Tower Hamlets recorded 145.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 79th 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 bicycle theft.
What is the most common crime in Tower Hamlets?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 11,968 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (10,671).
Is crime in Tower Hamlets going up or down?
Recorded crime in Tower Hamlets was up 2% on the year before: 48,202 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 47,139 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Tower Hamlets?
About 331,886 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 5.9% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Tower Hamlets?
Tower Hamlets 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.