Lewisham Leads South East London in Violence Rates

Lewisham recorded the highest rate of violence against the person in south-east London, with 36.2 offences logged per 1,000 residents in the 12 months ending September 2026. This figure represents 11,235 total offences for the borough. Metropolitan Police figures show that across Greater London, 279,664 violence against the person offences were recorded in the same period, marking a 7.6 per cent increase compared to the previous year.

Borough Comparisons

Among five south-east London boroughs analysed, Lewisham registered both the highest number of offences and the highest rate relative to its population. Greenwich recorded 10,244 offences, a rate of 35.8 per 1,000 people, placing it closely behind Lewisham. Southwark recorded 10,237 offences, with a rate of 31.7 per 1,000 people. Further south, Bexley recorded 6,104 offences at a rate of 24.4 per 1,000 people, while Bromley reported 7,545 offences, showing the lowest rate in this group at 22.7 per 1,000 people.

The data highlights variations between the boroughs. While Southwark and Greenwich had nearly identical total offence numbers, Greenwich’s rate per capita was higher due to its population size. Bromley presented the lowest rate of violence against the person among the five boroughs examined.

Broader Context of Violence

These statistics emerge against a backdrop of significant individual incidents across London. Recent events include a Metropolitan Police officer being stabbed during dawn raids, and a separate incident in Edgware that led to a lockdown. In Charlton, a 19-year-old man was taken to hospital in a critical condition following a stabbing on September 30. Separately, a man survived a gunshot wound to the head on January 4.