Drug crime falling across London boroughs but not in Havering.

New police data reveals Haringey and Havering are the only two London boroughs to see a rise in drug crime in the past year.

New data has revealed crime in London is on the rise, up 15% year on year, with reports of theft, robbery and sexual offences at an all-time high. Levels of theft have nearly doubled since 2021, reaching over 27,000 reported incidents in 2023. 

Drug offences, on the other hand, are the only crime to have fallen across London- down 20% in two years. Post-pandemic, levels of drug crime reached an all-time high of 47, 000 reported offences, and two years later this fell to 38,000.

The numbers show all but two London boroughs have seen a decline in the number of drug offences in the area since 2021; Haringey and Havering. 

Haringey is the borough hardest hit by rising drug crime, witnessing a 15% increase in offences in the past 2 years, followed by Havering at 10%. 

The data, collated by London criminal defence solicitors Lawtons, analysed the total crimes per 1,000 people in each borough for the past three years. Each borough was also given a crime index score to determine London’s crime hotspots.

Westminster came out on top as the most crime-ridden borough, with criminal offences in the area reaching nearly 100,000 in the past year alone, over double the number of reports in the next highest borough; Tower Hamlets.

Westminster had a crime index score of 97 out of 100, topping the list in every offence. Theft in the area accounted for over 20% of total theft in London in 2023. This is 5% higher than the average crime rate in England.

Tower Hamlets came out in second place, with a crime index score of 60. Again, theft is the most frequently reported crime in the borough, reaching 10,970 thefts in 2023, closely followed by violence against a person (10,702 offences).

Alarmingly, sexual offences continue to increase across London, with hotspot Westminster topping the list for frequency of sexual crime (1,600 reports in 2023). 
Bromley’s figures have shot up dramatically in the past two years, making it the borough facing the largest year-on-year increase in sexual offence crime (up 23% since January 2021). This is followed by Islington (19%) and Bexley (18%).

Nick Titchener, criminal defence solicitor at London law firm Lawtons Solicitors, said: 

“It’s no surprise that the city centre of Westminster is the prime spot for crime. The area attracts a large number of tourists and visitors each month making it a lucrative target for criminals, particularly theft and violence. Although the figures naturally reflect national trends which are rising due to less crime recorded during the pandemic, it is still a concern that all types of offences are on the rise. Crime and public safety will be one of the major issues at the next general election and is a top priority for councils to keep communities safe.

The biggest piece of advice is to be aware of your surroundings. Keep your valuables close and if you’re heading out late at night, It’s a good idea to plan how you will get home by checking the time of your last train, bus or tube back to your accommodation.”

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