Key Points
- A total of 3,829 burglaries were recorded across London during the month of September 2026.
- Southwark recorded the highest total number of offences with 224 burglaries, followed by Hackney with 185 and Westminster with 180.
- Lambeth recorded 175 burglaries, Barnet recorded 174, Islington recorded 170, and Enfield registered 169.
- Kingston upon Thames recorded the lowest number of offences at 39, followed closely by Bexley with 40, Merton with 51, and Havering with 55.
- Southwark’s monthly burglary total was nearly six times higher than Kingston upon Thames, representing a baseline difference of 185 offences.
- When adjusted for population, five London boroughs shared the highest burglary rate at 0.7 offences per 1,000 residents: Hackney, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Southwark, and Westminster.
- Camden and Tower Hamlets followed with a rate of 0.6 offences per 1,000 people, while Enfield, Greenwich, Hammersmith and Fulham, and Lambeth each stood at 0.5 per 1,000.
- Despite high absolute numbers in select areas, total recorded burglaries across London fell by 3.9% in the 12 months ending September 2026 compared to the preceding year.
Extra London News (ELN) October 17, 2026 – A total of 3,829 burglaries were recorded across London during September 2026, revealing stark geographical contrasts across the capital’s boroughs. Figures show Southwark recorded the highest absolute volume of offences at 224, whereas Kingston upon Thames recorded the lowest at 39. However, when population size is taken into account, five distinct boroughs shared the city’s highest burglary rate at 0.7 offences per 1,000 residents. On a broader scale, total recorded burglaries across London decreased by 3.9% in the 12 months ending September 2026 relative to the previous 12-month period.
- Key Points
- Which London Boroughs Recorded the Highest Absolute Burglary Totals in September 2026?
- Which Boroughs Recorded the Lowest Burglary Figures Across the Capital?
- How Do Population-Adjusted Rates Compare to Absolute Offence Totals?
- What Is the Overall Annual Trend for Recorded Burglaries in London?
- Background of London Burglary Statistics and Offence Tracking
- Predictions: How This Development May Affect London Residents and Local Communities
Which London Boroughs Recorded the Highest Absolute Burglary Totals in September 2026?
As detailed in the metropolitan crime figures released for September 2026, Southwark topped the list of absolute offences across the capital, registering 224 recorded burglaries over the course of thirty days.
Hackney recorded the second-highest total with 185 offences, followed closely by Westminster with 180 reported burglaries.
Further down the absolute total listings, Lambeth recorded 175 burglaries, while Barnet recorded 174. Islington followed with 170 recorded cases, remaining narrowly ahead of Enfield, which registered 169 offences.
The data illustrates a significant disparity in overall volume across London’s administrative areas. Southwark’s monthly total of 224 burglaries was nearly six times that of Kingston upon Thames, representing a difference of 185 recorded offences between the highest and lowest ends of the spectrum.
Which Boroughs Recorded the Lowest Burglary Figures Across the Capital?
At the opposite end of the statistics, Kingston upon Thames registered the lowest total number of offences across London, with 39 burglaries recorded during September 2026.
Bexley recorded the second-lowest total, registering 40 burglaries over the same timeframe. Merton recorded 51 offences, while Havering registered 55 burglaries.
How Do Population-Adjusted Rates Compare to Absolute Offence Totals?
The statistical distinction between raw offence totals and per capita rates remains significant when analysing crime distribution across London’s population centres. While Southwark recorded the highest absolute number of burglaries overall, it shared the top rate when offences were measured against local resident populations.
In the supplied figures, five boroughs shared the highest burglary rate across the capital at 0.7 burglaries per 1,000 residents:
- Hackney
- Islington
- Kensington and Chelsea
- Southwark
- Westminster
Following the top five, Camden and Tower Hamlets each recorded a population-adjusted rate of 0.6 burglaries per 1,000 residents.
Meanwhile, four additional boroughs—Enfield, Greenwich, Hammersmith and Fulham, and Lambeth—each recorded a rate of 0.5 burglaries per 1,000 residents.
What Is the Overall Annual Trend for Recorded Burglaries in London?
Despite high localized totals in specific central and inner London locations, the overall volume of recorded burglaries across the metropolis demonstrated a downward trajectory over the long term.
Across London as a whole, the overall number of recorded burglaries fell by 3.9% over the 12-month period ending September 2026 when compared directly against the figures from the preceding 12 months.
Background of London Burglary Statistics and Offence Tracking
Metropolitan crime reporting in London relies on two core metrics to evaluate residential and commercial security risks: raw volume figures and per capita population rates. Raw volume figures provide law enforcement and emergency services with the total operational load in a specific precinct or borough. In contrast, per capita rates adjust those figures against official resident populations to evaluate the proportional risk to individuals residing in those communities.
Historically, central London boroughs with high density, extensive commercial property hubs, and substantial transient populations—such as Westminster, Southwark, and Kensington and Chelsea—frequently register elevated absolute totals alongside higher per-person rates. Conversely, outer London suburban boroughs typically feature different environmental layouts and population movements, often yielding lower total recorded property crimes per month. Annual trends tracking percentage changes over a rolling 12-month window allow policymakers and police forces to evaluate whether localized spikes reflect short-term fluctuations or broader systemic shifts in property crime across Greater London.
Predictions: How This Development May Affect London Residents and Local Communities
The latest burglary figures and rate distributions are likely to influence operational and financial decisions across several key stakeholder groups in London:
Impact on Homeowners and Renters
Residents in high-rate boroughs—specifically Hackney, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Southwark, and Westminster—may face increased scrutiny from home insurance underwriters. Insurers routinely use localized per-capita crime data to calculate risk profiles, which could lead to higher premiums or stricter mandatory security requirements (such as specific lock standards or alarm installations) for property coverage in these areas.
Impact on Local Policing and Resource Allocation
The contrast between high-volume inner boroughs and lower-volume outer boroughs like Kingston upon Thames and Bexley provides data for Metropolitan Police deployment strategies. Police command structures may reallocate visible neighborhood policing teams and targeted crime prevention patrols toward the five boroughs sharing the 0.7 per 1,000 offence rate to address localized concentration.
Impact on Local Business and Property Owners
Commercial premises and residential building management companies in high-volume areas such as Southwark and Westminster are likely to increase private security measures. The data may prompt increased investment in communal access controls, closed-circuit television (CCTV) infrastructure, and localized neighborhood watch initiatives to mitigate property risks.
