All you need to know about safety and security in the capital city

BOROUGHS OF LONDON

Among all the cities of the United Kingdom, London is regarded as the best city to live, judging by a variety of metrics.

The London area is mostly divided into 32 regions called boroughs. Each borough is governed by a London borough council. These boroughs were created by the government on April 1, 1965. London is, of course, famous as a tourist destination. Its beautiful and historic architecture, green and lushy surroundings for example along the banks of the River Thames, and status as a world city with leading edge urban infrastructure make it a truly marvellous place to visit, live, and work.

Out of these 32 London boroughs, twelve of them are called inner boroughs and rest twenty boroughs are called outer boroughs. The London boroughs constitute the population of 1,50,000-3,00,000 and an area of 15-150 square kilometers. The boroughs are named as inner and outer boroughs on the basis of population strength, area, and population density. The inner ones are less densely populated as compared to the outer London boroughs. The services to all these boroughs are provided by their respective borough councils.

Safety and securtiy is, in London as in any other major city, a prime concern, which we shall examine below.

IS LONDON SAFE?

If you are traveling to a city that you have never been to before, in a foreign country, it is quite normal to worry about safety and security.

Pickpocketing is a common concern, it does happen in London just like in any other city around the world. The Metropolitan Police (known as the Met) who are responsible for the London area have some useful advice about pickpocketing that is worth reading. Although the advice may seem obvious, such as not carrying your phone sticking out of your jeans in a back pocket, and paying attention to those moving around and close to you, the basic safety precautions cannot be emphasised enough. Thanks to the Met’s efforts on the streets, and the efforts of staff in the Transport for London network of buses and trains, pickpocketing is a lot less prevalent in London than it might otherwise be.

The same advice applies to muggings. Remaining vigilant, avoiding poorly lit areas, avoiding areas where you could become isolated away from other members of the public, are all well advised. London has excellent night bus and night tube services running until very late at night, and also in some cases all throughout the night into the next morning continuously. This means transport staff and services will be able to support you should you need assistance.

All this is to say – London has plenty of safety and security measures in place!

A STRANGE TIME FOR CRIME

Economic dire straights imposed by the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic has unsurprisingly have had knock-on effects on crime. Financial insecurity and emotional stress does indeed breed crime as one might expect. On the other hand, the reduced public movement and increased home isolation has acted to make some types of crime more difficult.

HAS CRIME DECREASED DURING THE PANDEMIC IN LONDON?

Overall, reported crimes decreased significantly during the pandemic period of January to November 2020. This is not to say, however, that certain specific crimes did not see a boost in numbers, they did. This was due to some particularities of the pandemic scenario:

• Crimes that occur in public places (such as gang fights, pickpocketing, muggings, etc.), and also in empty homes are reduced in frequency.
• It has also been expected that domestic violence has gone up that includes interpersonal violence between spouses or partners and also child abuse and this is because people are stuck at home. There has been tension and stress going on for a lot of people and that definitely raises the likelihood that this kind of interpersonal violence is going to take place.
• Therefore, policing has really had to change during the coronavirus pandemic. Police agencies have really had to adapt their strategies of policing because many police officers had been contacting the coronavirus becoming sick and so a lot of police agencies were down.
• The officers that they usually had also had to deal with different kinds of emergencies. More health emergencies than the typical kinds of calls that they would be responding to, in addition, they had not been taking reports as frequently or in person like they did before the pandemic which meant that a lot of agencies had been taking reports of crime over the phone or online. This could reduce the number of reports that were coming into them which might also change the crime rate and make it look like it’s going down more than actually it is.

So there are definitely some potential for both short and long term policy changes that might result from the pandemic. Police in a lot of cities have started reducing the arrests of real low-level offenses and they are doing that so they can avoid sending individuals to jail. At the same time, there have been some mass releases from some prisons and some jails to reduce the likelihood that individuals would get the coronavirus. This might could lead to look at how crime changes after these releases. The police have started taking the calls online which might result in an increase in the actual number of cases due to crimes that are reported.

The factors that fuel crime have only increased during the lockdown. Despair, deprivation and increasing poverty from the UK’s economic slump have all played their part and the social issues which were present before the pandemic occurred have continued behind closed doors.

HOW WOULD YOU CHOOSE A SAFEST AREA TO LIVE IN LONDON?

When it comes to moving to London one of the most important details is picking an area to live in London that is safer and provides all necessary opportunities and requirements to its residents to fulfill. London is a massive city and there are so many neighborhoods to choose from that are called boroughs and they’re really different from each other.

There are many beautiful places to live about which we’re going to talk about.

First is East London, East London is really a trendy cool collective neighborhood. It is really popular for creatives and there are a ton of digital nomads living in the area because there are so many great café’s, hotels, lobbies and co-working spaces to work in. Along with that, there are some really cool markets some really great bars and some awesome little food places and it’s a cool place to hang out. It is connected to everything, there are buses that can get you to Central London in less than 20 minutes. Some of the neighborhoods in East London are shortage Hackney and Bethnal Green , it can be quite expensive to live there.

The second is South London, South London is not nearly as crowded as Central London. Because of its location, you don’t feel like you live far away, it takes only around 30 minutes to reach Central London. You are going to find a good neighborhood in South London, it’s not as busy as living in East London which really makes a difference. The other great part about living in South West London is that there are really good parks around the areas, you can choose from clap in common or Battersea Park. Also, there are great high streets depending on which neighborhood you’re in. There are so many famous pubs that are safe to party, outdoor gardens. It’s also a big mix of families and young professionals.

Next is South East London, which is becoming a cool place to live. People are moving to Peckham which has a vibrant art scene, a lot of galleries, it’s just a really eclectic area and it’s still a little on the cheaper end but it is being said that this place would become the next shortage, the prices are going to rise a lot on rent there. Another beautiful part of South East London is Greenwich, located right on the river and there are so many historical areas, a university over there, you can also visit the Greenwich observatory and it’s really a nice area to live in.

SAFEST PLACES TO LIVE IN LONDON:

Although, London is safe for everybody especially for tourists, yet you can’t ignore certain pickpocketing and mugging so you need to be careful. Here ten safest places to live in London are described;

Based on official crime statistics from Metropolitan Police, the safest place to live in London is Richmond.

1. RICHMOND

This area was originally founded as a royal retreat in the 16th century and known as, Richmond-upon-Thames in South-West London and is one of the safest places to live in the whole of the city. Situated on the riverside in the southwest of the city, Richmond is one of the most beautiful places to live. People flock there on weekends to enjoy the sunshine, big parks and expansive green areas, as well as wonderful restaurants, pubs and of course shopping with it being London’s lowest crime rate area, lots of celebrities, have settled down. In terms of the crime rate, there are 54 crimes per thousand citizens and it’s 9.2 miles away from Central London.

2. BEXLEY

Situated on the outskirts of southeast London, Bexley is known for its low prices and community living and of course it’s one of the safest places to live in London. The area feels more like a village and has fast connections into the city, has lots of green areas such as Bexleyheath and is buzzing with local café’s and cute pubs. As mentioned, Bexley has a real community spirit with trendy café’s serving fresh produce a town center butcher who’s been serving the residents for decades, the library tea room where all the residents tend to enjoy their afternoons whilst catching up on their weekly gossip. The crime rate in Bexley stands at 56 crimes per thousand citizens and it is 13.7 miles away from Central London.

3. KINGSTON-UPON-THAMES

So just over a mile away from Richmond upon Thames, Kingston is also one of the safest areas to live in London. Kingston offers plenty of shops and restaurants, a busy riverside and a notable theater. Also there are plenty of trains that take you straight into waterloo in just over 30 minutes. The crime rate in Kingston-upon-Thames is 57 crimes per thousand citizens and it is 10.7 miles away from Central London.

4. SUTTON

Based in southwest London, Sutton is again one of the safest places to live in London and is known for being a sleepy, quiet area that is perfect for families. With lots of green spaces, good grammar schools, a busy town center and weekly farmers markets that serve fresh produce. This is the perfect place to settle down. Also if you want to get into London, transport is fast, easy and accessible and you’ll be in London in no time. The crime rate in Sutton is 57 crimes/1000 citizens and its 12.2 miles away from Central London.

5. HARROW

So if one is looking for great schools and affordable living, its nothing better than Northwest London’s safest borough, Harrow. Home to some of the most incredible private schools including Harrow school for boys which was attended by none other than the Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill. It’s a very culturally diverse area with two large shopping centers, lots of cute café’s and great transport links straight into London. The crime rate in Harrow stands at 63 crimes per thousand citizens and its 13.7 miles away from London.

6. BROMLEY

Situated in south east London, Bromley is a green leafy area that is a commuter’s dream because it takes just a mere 13 minutes from Bromley into London Victoria. Bromley being the safest place to live in southeast London has lovely Victorian streets, a busy town center, a notable theater and some great state schools. The crime rate in Bromley stands at 64 crimes per thousand citizens and it’s 11.2 miles away from central London.

7. MERTON

So the London borough of Merton is located in southwest London and incorporates Wimbledon, Mitchum, Collierswood and Morden and Rayner’s park. They all offer strong residential settings including beautiful parks and tree-lined streets. Wimbledon is definitely the most sought after area in Merton. The crime rate in Merton stands at 66 crimes per thousand citizens and it is 10.2 miles away from Central London.

8. HAVERING

The London borough of Havering is located on the eastern fringes of greater London and incorporates parts of Essex. Its also the farthest area from Central London. Romford, Horn church and Upminster make up the main areas with Upminster offering access to the district line. Despite being located just half an hour outside of Central London, Havering residents are able to enjoy real countryside living with lots of green spaces and rural areas. The crime rate in Havering stands at 67 crimes per thousand citizens and it’s 19 miles away from Central London.

9. BARNET

So the range of different properties in Barnet make it a place that’s really appealing to both families and young professionals. Barnet has plenty of parks, great schools, lots of village style shops and of course great transport links straight into London. The crime rate in Barnet stands at 68 crimes per thousand citizens and it is 10.3 miles away from Central London.

10. ENFIELD

Situated on the edge of North London the area acts as a gateway into the scenic countryside of her picture yet it still has easy access into Central London. Just a fun fact Enfield is a home to the world’s very first ATM and is a regular feature in pub quiz questions. The area has a vibrant town center, plenty of great schools, low crime rates and some period properties that appeal to families. The crime rate in Enfield stands at 74 crimes per thousand citizens and its 16.3 miles away from Central London.

So while these areas are officially the safest places to live in the capital it doesn’t mean you have to shy away from some of London’s other delights.

SAFEST BOROUGHS IN 2023:

There are a few safer areas that are considered safer to live in 2023:

• Richmond; with a crime rate of 54 crimes/1000 people
• Bexley; with the crime rate of 56/1000 people
• Kingston-upon-Thames; with a crime rate of 57/1000 people
• Sutton; 57/1000 people
• Harrow; 63/1000 people

SAFEST BOROUGHS IN 2022:

Richmond and Twickenham have been considered as the safest boroughs in 2022. Richmond is the safest place to live in the capital. It is a calm, welcoming village with beautiful riverside café’s, shops, pubs, 100 parks and 140 hectares of Metropolitan Green Belt area.

SMALLEST BOROUGH IN LONDON:

Kingston &Chelsea is the smallest borough of London by area, at 4.7 square miles (12.2 sq km). Considering the population, the City of London is the smallest borough which is called London’s historic center. It has a population size, at just 10.9 thousand people.

POOREST BOROUGH IN LONDON:

The borough that is the poorest in London is Tower Hamlets which has around 39 percent of the poverty rate, meaning around 2 in 5 people in the borough are living in poverty. Other than this, Newham, Hackney and Islington are ranked poor having 37 percent, 36 percent and 34 percent poverty rates respectively.

BIGGEST BOROUGH IN LONDON:

Bromley is the biggest borough in London by area and is regarded as one of London’s safer boroughs. Barnet is the largest of all, which had a population of 399 thousand in 2022. On the other part, the London borough of Hillingdon is the second largest, covering 44.6 square miles. Half of the borough is countryside including canals, rivers, woodlands and a maximum of green spaces and parks.

MOST EXPENSIVE BOROUGH IN LONDON:

As of June 2022, the City of Westminster is the top most expensive neighborhood in London with an average property price of £3 million. It is the most expensive place in London to buy a house. After Westminster, here is a list of other expensive London boroughs along with their average property prices:

• Kensington and Chelsea; £2,080,134
• Camden; £1,858,738
• Hammersmith and Fulham; £964,013
• Hackney; £933,006
• Richmond upon Thames; £838,527
• Lambeth; £834,518
• Wandsworth; £803,319

WHICH LONDON BOROUGH HAS THE MOST STABBINGS?

London is safe for a living but still, there are some places that are not at all safe for residents, crimes are enhancing day by day in London, Southwark and Lambeth have become the highest in gun and knife crimes. Southwark has a higher-than-average rate of drug crime and theft and handling are the most commonly reported crimes there. Other than these two, Brent, Haringey and Hackney also have a high gun and knife crime rates.

WHICH LONDON BOROUGH HAS THE HIGHEST CRIME LEVEL?

Croydon has the highest crime rate and so far this year is the most dangerous borough, as these figures show:

1. Croydon- 4,781
2. Newham- 4,733
3. Tower Hamlets- 4,572

Over 100,000 crimes have been registered in the first two months of 2022, as said by the Metropolitan Police.

MOST DANGEROUS BOROUGHS OF LONDON:

Top 10 areas with the most recorded crimes in London are as follows;

10. NEWHAM

Located further east from Tower Hamlets and has the Olympic Park and Stadium. 800 crimes are reported per square kilometer in a year. The hotspot areas are Stratford, Beckton and Upton Park.

9. TOWER HAMLETS

Located at the east from City of London, Tower Hamlets has a lot of inner London (the East end) crime and rates with 940 crimes per year within a square kilometer. The hotspot areas in Tower Hamlets are Spitalfields and Banglatown, Whitechapel and Bethnal Green.

8. SOUTHWARK

With 980 crimes each year per square km, Southwark comes at eighth place. Southwark is not a classy part of South London that can expect an uplift as some of the trendy youngsters are getting priced out of expensive neighboring Lambeth. The hotspots for crime are: Cathedrals, The Lane, Chaucer, Grange, East Walworth and Camberwell Green.

7. KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA

The fact it has one of the most expensive properties in the UK. Kensington and Chelsea rank the 7th highest crime borough in London with 1,010 crimes reported per square kilometer per year. The hotspots are Brompton and Earl’s Court.

6. HAMMERSMITH AND FULHAM

Located in West London, Hammersmith and Fulham is also an expensive area but it does not mean it will be crime-free as the report highlights that Hammersmith and Fulham has just over 1,000 crimes a year reported for every square kilometer. The hotspots are Sherperd Bush Green and Hammersmith Broadway.

5. CAMDEN

Camden is a big tourist and nightlife area that might explain its high placement as one of the top London crime area with 1,110 crimes reported per square kilometer in a year. Camden’s highest crime areas are: Holborn, Covent Garden, Camden Town, Bloomsbury, Regent’s Park and King’s Cross.

4. LAMBETH

With Brixton, Lambeth has a reputation for a crime for decades and Lambeth still has a high crime in London with 1,110 crimes reported for every square kilometer in a year. Higher risk areas are: Brixton, Coldharbour, Clapham Town, Oval and St Leonards.

3. HACKNEY

Hackney is stricken with one of the highest crime rates at 1,180 per square kilometers per year. Hackney is slow becoming a very expensive area which houses some rich people as well with some cheaper homes for poor people in this rough area. Areas to look out are Haggerston, Dalston, Hoxton and Hackney Central.

2. ISLINGTON

Islington is a borough in the north of Central London with 1,490 crimes reported each year per kilometer square of land. Not known for tourism and this borough struggles with crime. Its most notable crime areas are Bunhill, Finsbury Park and Barnsbury.

1. WESTMINSTER

The borough has the highest crime rate in London as having one of the highest populations due to parts of Westminster are in the center of the city. There are 1,580 crimes reported per square kilometer. Westminster is a major tourist and commuter area for London so there are more people in Westminster than in most other boroughs.

MOST DANGEROUS BOROUGHS IN LONDON IN 2023:

Top 5 most dangerous boroughs in London 2023 are –

5. ENFIELD

• Violent acts: 30,000+
• Homicides: 48
• Notable gangs: AP [3RDS], 3×3 [N9]

The Enfield beef is linked with the Haringey beef. There area lot of GM’s from here but their links with Haringey didn’t happen until the end of the Hackney Tottenham rivalry. Enfield is a borough that has a lot of talent anis surely due to blow in 2023.

4. LAMBETH

• Violent acts: 40,000+
• Homicides: 55
• Notable gangs: 67, 150, SIRAQ

Lambeth is one of the most famous boroughs in London. They are the first ones to make UK drill music a thing. 150 member Stickz was the first one and then 67 helped elevate it. Lambeth has always been a hotspot for gun and knife crime and the gangs are famous for quick retaliation.

3. HARINGEY

• Violent acts: 40,000+
• Homicides: 56
• Notable gangs: OFB, WG, N15

Haringey is home to some of the most OJ GMs of all time. The NPK/OFB/N15 vs N9/WG/TPL is probably one of the longest beefs in London. They are famous for the 1985 BWF riots, Mark Duggan’s death, Woodgreen mob and many more things. Haringey has heavily been on the trident’s radar because of these events and Haringey is probably one of the most OJ boroughs in London.

2. SOUTHWARK

• Violent acts: 40,000+
• Homicides: 61
• Notable gangs: HARLEM, ZONE 2, KUKU

The Southwark beef has always been intense and there has been quite a few bodies dropped so, therefore, the trident has been onto them for time now. Southwark has always been on it even since the old PYG days. PYG being an old gang whose reputation is still recognized on road today.

1. NEWHAM

• Violent acts: 40,000+
• Homicides: 66
• Notable gangs: 6TH, 7TH, HB

Newham is probably the most tapped borough in London. It is home to the devil young Dizz and CBI that alone is tapped enough. The 6TH vs 7TH beef has had a few bodies dropped with the 7th winning the beef since they are linked with Hellbanianz. They have a few songs together too.

MOST DANGEROUS AREAS IN LONDON IN 2023:

Other than the places discussed above, there are various other areas that have been regarded as the most dangerous places to live in London in 2023:

• Peckham, Peckham is a district of southeast London, it had a population of 701,552. Drugs, knives, guns and murders were probably just the few things that Peckham has to offer. Almost every part of it is full of thug dealers or new bloods that are soon to be killers.
• Brixton, the name Brixton is thought to originate from BRICS Astana meaning the stone of Brick sea. Brixton is a very fatal area of London near Peckham. More people think that this is the most dangerous area in London but there are some positive progress in Brixton.
• Tottenham, it was divided into two separate constituencies, Tottenham north and Tottenham south. Tottenham is one of the poorest areas in London and it is a failed area plagued with crime, unemployment, welfare dependency, race hustlers gang, gun, drugs etc.
• Croydon, not good for kids, there are gangs of 14 to 20 odd year olds wailing around the streets thinking they own the place, they are violent and don’t care. Thugs here are not at all talk, they would kill, shoot or stab whenever they find fit.
• Stockwell, it is divided with two turfs. North Stockwell, home of the 0.31 blood set gangs who share the same rivalry gang ABM67. South Stockwell has been given the nickname shot hole for the large numerous gun crime in the area.

LONDON’S MOST VIOLENT AREAS YOU COULD BE LIVING IN;

• Westminster (Total Number of Crimes: 49,400; Crime Rate per 1,000 People: 195.78)
• Camden (Total Number of Crimes: 28,423; Crime Rate per 1,000 People: 112.51)
• Kensington and Chelsea (Total Number of Crimes: 24,436; Crime Rate per 1,000 People: 109.01)

TOP 10 MOST DANGEROUS BOROUGHS:

The list of 10 most dangerous boroughs according to a survey, highest to lowest, are as follows;

• Westminster
• Camden
• Kensington and Chelsea
• Hackney
• Islington
• Hammersmith and Fulham
• Southwark
• Haringey
• Tower hamlets
• Lambeth

MOST DANGEROUS BOROUGHS TO LIVE IN LONDON ACCORDING TO POLICE STATISTICS

Westminster, Croydon and Camden are the most dangerous areas that mark the highest figures of crime in London.

CRIME NUMBERS IN EACH BOROUGH

Crime count in the different boroughs of London is given below;

1. Westminster – 73603
2. Kensington and Chelsea; 24,304
3. Camden; 3,853
4. Hammersmith and Fulham; 2,336
5. Islington; 30,392
6. Hackney; 3,451
7. Haringey; 32,818
8. Southwark; 3,879
9. Lambeth; 36,235
10. Tower Hamlets; 35,475
11. Newham; 37,107
12. Greenwich; 30,019
13. Houslow; 2,792
14. Lewisham; 30,534
15. Barking and Dagenham; 21,189
16. Brent; 31,725
17. Ealing; 32,841
18. Croydon; 3,679
19. Waltham forest; 25, 947
20. Hillingdon; 28,616

KNIFE CRIME IN LONDON:

Crimes in London mainly occur as a result of increasing poverty and this all begins with the children who get indulge in such practices due to lack of money and other resources. They yearn for a life full of happiness and resources and money and to achieve that they get involved in crimes and therefore, the crime rate due to knife murders and gun murders is increasing day by day.

In 2022, at least 100 people were slaughtered and six teenagers have been stabbed to death in the first three months of 2022. A 10-year old was stabbed to death roadside when he was selling some clothes. Another teen who was just 15 was knifed away from Islington on January 25.

• London has the highest rate of child poverty in any other English region. There are 700,000 children or37% of all children in London, living in poverty after you take housing costs into account. To put that into perspective there are as many poor children in London as in all of Scotland and Wales, two-thirds of children living in poverty in the UK are in working households that’s for anyone wanting to blame lazy parents.
• The main drivers of child poverty in London are the capitals, high housing costs, lack of affordable childcare, low pay and a lack of flexible part-time jobs. People who are banned are more likely to be low paid especially people from Bangladeshi or Pakistani origin and women are more likely to be low paid than men. So now we have children growing up in the block, family can’t make ends meet but they’ve got a nuclear family to depend on.
• As of 2019, London has the highest proportion of single-parent families at 19.1%. A single mother is the most common type with the UK accounting for 86% of this family type. So there is a high percentage of the population already facing adversity impacted by their earning potential because they’re bane women.
• There’s a recorded lack of affordable childcare which then forces parents to rely on what little resource they have available. The ideology of making a quick buck to buy all the material things you wish for, to put money on your family’s table. It’s all sold in a package wrapped in green notes and fairy dust.

We always wish for a crime-free area to live in but there will always be good and bad, there will always be rich and poor but what we can do is up the opportunities to give these kids a way out.