Neighbourhood crime in London has fallen by 15% over the past year, according to new figures from City Hall and the Metropolitan Police.
The fall was driven by declines in theft, personal robbery and burglary, particularly in central London, where police have stepped up efforts to tackle phone snatching and street crime.
The figures, covering the 12 months to June 2026, come amid a wider debate over crime and London’s reputation, and the mayor of London’s push to challenge online disinformation and criticism of the capital.
While these offences have fallen, the wider picture remains more mixed, with some boroughs seeing small increases, as well as a stark rise in business robbery across London.
The data shows within the neighbourhood policing dataset, there were more than 35,000 fewer offences recorded across the capital, with the biggest reductions seen in central London.
In Westminster alone, neighbourhood crime fell by more than a third, with nearly 14,000 fewer offences recorded over the year.
The Met said phone thefts in the West End have halved following a major crackdown and a doubling of patrols in the area.
Police say their largest-ever operation against phone theft has resulted in 13,000 fewer mobile phones being stolen across London.
Statistics released by the Met also show theft from the person fell by 23%, equivalent to 23,311 fewer offences, while personal robberies dropped by 11%, and vehicle crime by 9%.
The mayor said the figures showed London was becoming safer despite criticism of crime levels in the capital.
He added: “We know many people online and across the world have been trying to talk London down, but the evidence is clear – London is one of the safest global cities in the world, crime is falling and we’ll continue working together to build a safer London for everyone.”
The neighbourhood dataset represents 22% of all recorded offences; overall crime in London is down 2.5% in the last year.
