Kingston upon Thames is amongst the safest boroughs in London, crime stats show, with just 80 crimes per 1,000 people.
The average crime rate per 1,000 people in England and Wales is 84. In Scotland it is 55.
However, what types of crime are most prevalent in the borough and what are the issues most affecting residents as a result?
The data, compiled by the Metropolitan Police, records the number of reported offences in the borough for each category of crime.
Violent and sexual offences have not fallen
The figures show no reduction in violent and sexual offences.
Across London in 2023 there was a rape reported every hour.
The Met said they are “striving to do better”. They also said that the number of rape charges doubled in 2023 compared with 2022, showing an increased willingness to prosecute.
Kingston’s neighbouring borough, Richmond upon Thames, is London’s safest, boasting 75 crimes per 1,000 people, 14 fewer than the national average.
Richmond councillor Katie Mansfield devotes much of her time to the prevention of violence against women and girls (VAWG).
Mansfield said: “We interviewed young girls in schools, across Richmond and Kingston. Half said they had suffered some kind of harassment or abuse. That’s in schools. That’s girls.
“We need to tackle things that are happening out of sight, just as much as we do the things that are clear.
“Young people online are being influenced by people like Andrew Tate and others. Young boys who are influenced by that are just as much victims of grooming as anything else.
“We are tackling that head on and working with the schools. We are partnering with Hampton and Richmond football club, and St. Mary’s University. It’s not something the council can do on its own.”
Violent offences also blight much of the capital.
Crime reporter Cameron Charters, who has been covering major court cases and crime for 10 years, said: “I recently covered a murder case where one of the defendants had ordered 500 knives from a website to sell them on to young teenagers.
“Many of these knives were truly grotesque to behold and specifically designed to be as threatening and intimidating as possible.”
The shop, which sold 500 knives to one individual, no longer operates online.
More recently, the government has pledged that they will make it much tougher for young people to buy knives online.
Shoplifting has increased
In May 2023 there were 91 incidents of shoplifting reported to police, while in May 2024 that had risen to 129, an increase of more than 40% in a year.
Across London, shoplifting increased by 48 percent in 2023/4. This puts Kingston upon Thames marginally below the London average, but this will come as little comfort to retailers and shopkeepers in the borough.
Across England and Wales, shoplifting reached the highest level on record in 2024. Many attribute this to the cost of living crisis, but industry leaders are not convinced.
Speaking to the Justice and Home Affairs Committee last year, Paul Gerrard, Board Secretariat Director at The Co-op Group, said: “In our stores, we have seen crime go up by 44% over the past 18 months.
“You could argue that shoplifting might happen more in a cost of living crisis, fine, but that is not what is driving the 44% increase.
“What is driving the increase is people who are stealing to order in huge volumes.”
Vehicle crime is down
Vehicle crime in the borough is a serious concern for locals. One resident, who did not wish to be named, told SWLonder that he had been the victim of a ‘hit and run’ offence four years ago.
Despite reporting the offence to the police, and giving a detailed description of the car, the matter was treated as a ‘low priority’ offence. No-one was prosecuted.
Fortunately, vehicle crime is down by more than 40% over the past two years, hopefully an indication that police now take the issue more seriously.
Furthermore, Kingston upon Thames boasts the lowest car-theft rate of any London borough. Many of the most desirable cars sit behind electric gates, making them harder to steal.
Bicycle theft is down
Bicycle theft has more than halved this year, with just 28 reports in July 2024 compared to 67 in the same month the previous year.
This will come as welcome news to cyclists; National figures show that less than two percent of bicycle thieves are charged. The chances of having a stolen bicycle returned are lower than one in five.
Fortunately, theft from the person, which includes muggings and phone thefts, has not increased in the borough.
This is despite phone snatching offences reaching record highs in central London, with the City of Westminster seeing a 71 percent increase since 2020.
Featured image courtesy of Krzysztof Hepner
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