Which south west London borough had the most crime in December?

South west London, which includes Croydon, Sutton, Merton, Lambeth, Kingston-upon-Thames, Richmond-upon-Thames and Wandsworth, saw an overall fall in reported crime in December 2025.

A total of 11,761 offences were logged in December, down 2.8 per cent from 12,096 recorded in November.

Lambeth recorded the highest number of offences in December, with 3,036 crimes reported.

Theft was the most common offence in the borough, with 1,105 incidents, followed by violence against the person with 776 reports.

Vehicle crime also remained an issue, with 198 offences recorded.

There were also 185 burglary offences, 176 cases of arson and criminal damage, 172 public order offences and 132 robberies.

Croydon had the second highest crime total, with 2,611 offences in December, representing a 2.1 per cent decrease from the previous month.

As in Lambeth, violence against the person and theft were the most frequently recorded crimes, with 916 and 521 reports respectively.

Vehicle offences were the next most common at 248, followed by 207 cases of arson and criminal damage.

Wandsworth ranked third, with 2,079 offences reported during the month, down 1.3 per cent compared to November.

The borough recorded 595 incidents of violence against the person and 585 theft offences, alongside 225 vehicle crimes.

Public order offences, burglaries and arson and criminal damage were also recorded in significant numbers, with 144, 143 and 123 cases respectively.

Merton was next in the rankings, with 1,160 offences reported in December.

This included 387 cases of violence against the person, 242 thefts and 103 vehicle offences.

Police also recorded 92 drug offences and 81 incidents of arson and criminal damage.

In Sutton, 1,015 offences were recorded in December.

Despite placing lower than several neighbouring boroughs, this marked a notable change from November’s figure of 2,180.

The most common crimes were violence against the person, with 360 reports, and theft, with 201.

Richmond-upon-Thames and Kingston-upon-Thames recorded the lowest crime levels in south west London during December.

Kingston saw 979 offences, including 318 cases of violence against the person and 288 thefts. Richmond recorded 881 offences, making it the borough with the lowest total.

Often regarded as one of south London’s safest areas, Richmond saw 270 incidents of violence against the person, 225 thefts and 107 vehicle offences.