Crime in Wandsworth: statistics, rates and trends
33,210 crimes were recorded in Wandsworth in the 12 months to August 2026, 98.4 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 1% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Wandsworth at a glance
- Crime trends in Wandsworth
- Types of crime in Wandsworth
- Wandsworth compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Wandsworth
- Streets with the most crime in Wandsworth
- What happened after crimes were reported in Wandsworth
- Demographics of Wandsworth
- Questions about crime in Wandsworth
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (8,525), anti-social behaviour (7,300) and vehicle crime (3,010) made up 57% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 377th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Wandsworth | Wandsworth | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 33,210 | 33,210 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 98.4 | 98.4 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -1% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 337,655 | 337,655 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Wandsworth peaked in the year to August 2021 (36,522 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (31,416). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 6%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 33,210 | 98.4 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 33,569 | 99.4 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 33,364 | 98.8 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 32,193 | 95.3 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 32,107 | 95.1 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 36,522 | 108.2 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 35,329 | 104.6 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 31,499 | 93.3 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 31,416 | 93.0 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 2,853 |
| July 2026 | 3,217 |
| June 2026 | 2,740 |
| May 2026 | 2,889 |
| April 2026 | 2,758 |
| March 2026 | 2,668 |
| February 2026 | 2,452 |
| January 2026 | 2,518 |
| December 2025 | 2,569 |
| November 2025 | 2,664 |
| October 2025 | 3,039 |
| September 2025 | 2,843 |
Compared with England and Wales, Wandsworth recorded notably more bicycle theft (2.6 times the national rate), theft from the person (2.0 times the national rate) and vehicle crime (79% above the national rate), and notably less criminal damage and arson (54% below) and other crime (48% below). On the year before, bicycle theft rose from 549 to 736 and possession of weapons rose from 151 to 197, while criminal damage and arson fell from 1,576 to 1,043 and theft from the person fell from 1,532 to 1,162.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 8,525 | 25.2 | 34.2 | +8% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 7,300 | 21.6 | 15.4 | -4% |
| Vehicle crime | 3,010 | 8.9 | 5.0 | +7% |
| Other theft | 2,853 | 8.4 | 6.4 | +6% |
| Shoplifting | 2,533 | 7.5 | 8.5 | -13% |
| Public order | 1,856 | 5.5 | 6.7 | +5% |
| Burglary | 1,596 | 4.7 | 3.6 | -4% |
| Drugs | 1,274 | 3.8 | 3.3 | +5% |
| Theft from the person | 1,162 | 3.4 | 1.7 | -24% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,043 | 3.1 | 6.7 | -34% |
| Robbery | 756 | 2.2 | 1.4 | -5% |
| Bicycle theft | 736 | 2.2 | 0.8 | +34% |
| Other crime | 369 | 1.1 | 2.1 | -7% |
| Possession of weapons | 197 | 0.6 | 1.0 | +30% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
6 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Wandsworth; the highest is City and County of the City of London (639.5 per 1,000) and the lowest Merton (74.2).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Wandsworth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lambeth | 48,676 | 154.4 | +57% |
| Merton | 16,220 | 74.2 | -25% |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | 26,183 | 138.8 | +41% |
| Kensington and Chelsea | 24,987 | 172.9 | +76% |
| City of Westminster | 86,028 | 409.7 | +317% |
| Southwark | 49,295 | 156.6 | +59% |
| City and County of the City of London | 9,663 | 639.5 | +550% |
| Sutton (Sutton) | 16,658 | 78.0 | -21% |
Of the 22 areas within Wandsworth, Lavender had the highest crime rate (171.8 per 1,000) and Southfields the lowest (51.1), 3 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lavender | Neighbourhood | 15,316 | 2,631 | 171.8 |
| Tooting Broadway | Neighbourhood | 17,145 | 2,715 | 158.4 |
| Nine Elms | Neighbourhood | 9,042 | 1,400 | 154.8 |
| Wandsworth Town | Neighbourhood | 17,786 | 2,417 | 135.9 |
| Trinity | Neighbourhood | 12,237 | 1,589 | 129.9 |
| Balham | Neighbourhood | 16,352 | 2,051 | 125.4 |
| St Mary's | Neighbourhood | 16,485 | 1,850 | 112.2 |
| Falconbrook | Neighbourhood | 12,865 | 1,441 | 112.0 |
| Thamesfield | Neighbourhood | 17,412 | 1,853 | 106.4 |
| Shaftesbury & Queenstown | Neighbourhood | 13,189 | 1,401 | 106.2 |
| Battersea Park | Neighbourhood | 20,524 | 2,065 | 100.6 |
| Roehampton | Neighbourhood | 20,031 | 1,968 | 98.2 |
| South Balham | Neighbourhood | 8,731 | 719 | 82.4 |
| Wandle | Neighbourhood | 10,551 | 774 | 73.4 |
| Furzedown | Neighbourhood | 18,040 | 1,271 | 70.5 |
| Tooting Bec | Neighbourhood | 18,775 | 1,319 | 70.3 |
| Wandsworth Common | Neighbourhood | 16,796 | 1,152 | 68.6 |
| Northcote | Neighbourhood | 12,814 | 822 | 64.1 |
| West Hill | Neighbourhood | 17,024 | 1,089 | 64.0 |
| East Putney | Neighbourhood | 19,182 | 1,159 | 60.4 |
| West Putney | Neighbourhood | 14,861 | 886 | 59.6 |
| Southfields | Neighbourhood | 12,497 | 638 | 51.1 |
The 10 locations below account for 18% of the crime recorded in Wandsworth over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (2,045).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 2,045 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 914 |
| On or near Hospital | 614 |
| On or near Theatre/Concert Hall | 492 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 488 |
| On or near Parking Area | 454 |
| On or near Police Station | 318 |
| On or near Circus Road West | 294 |
| On or near Further/Higher Educational Building | 261 |
| On or near Park/Open Space | 251 |
Of the 25,910 crimes in Wandsworth with a recorded outcome, 50% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.0% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 7,300 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 13,002 | 50.2% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 7,038 | 27.2% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 2,459 | 9.5% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 1,191 | 4.6% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 1,043 | 4.0% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 527 | 2.0% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 372 | 1.4% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 110 | 0.4% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 63 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 63 | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 24 | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 14 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Wandsworth has an estimated population of 337,655 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more households without a car (48%, against 23%), more residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (63%, against 34%) and more private renting (36%, against 20%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Wandsworth average decile 6.6 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Wandsworth | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 15.6% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 9.9% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 69.6% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.0% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 9.8% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 8.1% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 62.6% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 9.9% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 47.9% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 44.3% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 19.3% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 36.3% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.6 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Wandsworth a safe place to live?
Wandsworth recorded 98.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 377th 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 Wandsworth?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 8,525 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (7,300).
Is crime in Wandsworth going up or down?
Recorded crime in Wandsworth was down 1% on the year before: 33,210 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 33,569 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Wandsworth?
About 337,655 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 9.9% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Wandsworth?
Wandsworth 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.