Photo: David Howard · CC BY-SA 2.0Recorded crime per resident is higher in Islington than in 92% of UK towns
Its police logs show 44.1 violent and sexual offences and 24.3 incidents of burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 residents a year. Recorded violence rose 9% in a year. On the record of crimes police recorded inside Islington’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026, it takes D for safety: #29 of 33 in London. Police recorded 3,192 cases of theft from the person locally in the 12 months to August 2026, a rate of 14.8 per 1,000 against a typical 0.7.
Crimes and reports per 1,000 residents (Census 2021) a year, September 2023 to August 2026.
What stands out about safety in Islington
Violent crime rose over the year
In the 12 months to August 2026 police recorded 9% more violent crime per resident in Islington than in the year before; across UK towns and cities of 50,000 or more violent crime held steady. Burglary, vehicle crime and criminal damage fell 24% (towns its size: held steady). Trend ↓
More crime than many places its size
Of 44 UK towns and cities of 151,000 to 292,000 people, Islington has the 33rd lowest rate of graded crime: lower than Sunderland, Derby and Peterborough, higher than Milton Keynes, Southend-on-Sea and Northampton. Towns its size ↓
Written from the police.uk and government data on this page. Figures are crimes police recorded, not convictions.
What’s behind Islington’s grade
A firm grade. Built on 44,001 graded crimes over three years. The grade adds violent and sexual offences and crimes against homes and vehicles per resident and ranks Islington against every UK town of 1,000 or more.
Per resident, against all UK towns; beside it, how it compares with towns its size.
What police recorded in the last 12 months
Against the typical town its size, Islington runs highest on theft from the person (14.8 per 1,000 against 0.7), bicycle theft (3.8 per 1,000 against 0.9) and robbery (5.7 per 1,000 against 1.4). Other crime and criminal damage & arson sit below it.
Show as a table
| Category | In the grade | Reports | Per 1,000 | Typical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-social behaviour | not graded | 8,983 | 41.5 | 17.5 |
| Violence & sexual offences | Violent | 8,683 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| Shoplifting | not graded | 4,330 | 20 | 10.3 |
| Other theft | not graded | 3,564 | 16.5 | 6.6 |
| Theft from the person | not graded | 3,192 | 14.8 | 0.7 |
| Public order | not graded | 2,273 | 10.5 | 7.4 |
| Vehicle crime | Home & vehicle | 1,764 | 8.2 | 4.9 |
| Drugs | not graded | 1,730 | 8 | 3.8 |
| Burglary | Home & vehicle | 1,533 | 7.1 | 3.4 |
| Robbery | Violent | 1,238 | 5.7 | 1.4 |
| Criminal damage & arson | Home & vehicle | 1,017 | 4.7 | 7.5 |
| Bicycle theft | not graded | 828 | 3.8 | 0.9 |
| Other crime | not graded | 324 | 1.5 | 2.1 |
| Possession of weapons | Violent | 233 | 1.1 | 1.1 |
“Violent” is police.uk’s violence and sexual offences (which includes harassment, stalking and assault without injury), robbery and possession of weapons. Anti-social behaviour isn’t a crime category; shoplifting and other theft happen mostly in shops and town centres rather than to residents, so neither counts in the grade.
September 2025 to August 2026, per 1,000 residents. The tick on each bar is the typical (median) town among UK towns and cities of 50,000 or more.
Police in Islington identify a suspect less often than across UK towns
No suspect was identified for 82% of Islington’s burglaries, vehicle crimes and criminal damage, against 69% across UK towns, and for 45% of violent and sexual offences against 19%. Most violent cases close as “unable to prosecute” (36% here), usually because the victim doesn’t support a prosecution. About 7% of violent and 4% of household crimes reached court.
The latest outcome police.uk shows for each crime recorded in the first of the three years (September 2023 to August 2024), so most cases have closed. 14,520 crimes.
Crime in Islington per 1,000 residents
A crime isn’t a victim: one person can report several, and crimes in a town centre often involve visitors rather than residents.
And about 20 burglaries, vehicle crimes or acts of criminal damage, plus 55 shoplifting and theft reports, in the 12 months to August 2026. Each dot is one resident; each coloured dot is one recorded crime.
Among 44 towns its size, Islington ranks 33rd for the least graded crime
| # | Town | People | Violent | Homes & vehicles | Shops & theft | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richmond upon Thames London | 192,888 | 18.8 | 17.9 | 15.9 | C+ |
| 2 | Kingston upon Thames London | 166,333 | 24.7 | 14 | 20.6 | C+ |
| 3 | Harrow London | 260,534 | 23.3 | 15.4 | 16 | C+ |
| 4 | Merton London | 214,931 | 24.2 | 14.8 | 16.1 | C+ |
| … | ||||||
| 30 | Milton Keynes Buckinghamshire | 197,328 | 46.3 | 19.3 | 23.3 | D |
| 31 | Southend-on-Sea Essex | 182,295 | 48.3 | 17.4 | 18.6 | D |
| 32 | Northampton Northamptonshire | 243,527 | 46.1 | 19.7 | 20.2 | D |
| 33 | Islington London | 216,309 | 44.1 | 24.3 | 54.8 | D |
| 34 | Portsmouth Hampshire | 223,324 | 53.5 | 16.8 | 22.8 | D |
| 35 | Newcastle upon Tyne Tyne and Wear | 286,472 | 47.8 | 24.2 | 29.9 | D |
| 36 | Wolverhampton West Midlands | 234,029 | 50.6 | 21.7 | 20.1 | D |
| … | ||||||
| 44 | Westminster London | 203,571 | 81.4 | 42.3 | 254.6 | D− |
Safety letters rank against every UK town of 1,000 or more; the order here is context only.
Graded crime per 1,000 residents a year, September 2023 to August 2026, counting from the least: towns ranked near Islington, and others in London.
How crime in Islington has moved
“Towns its size” pools all UK towns and cities of 50,000 or more that police.uk covers each month (Greater Manchester has no data).
Rolling three-month rate, per 1,000 residents a year. In the 12 months to August 2026 against the 12 before: violent +9% (towns its size +2%), homes and vehicles -24% (towns its size -5%), shoplifting and theft +0% (towns its size -3%), anti-social behaviour +1% (towns its size -2%).
How Islington’s neighbourhoods rank in England
4% of residents live in the lowest-crime 30% of England’s neighbourhoods, and 22% in the highest-crime 20%. The crime domain scores the risk of violence, burglary, theft and criminal damage where people live, so it can read differently from the town-wide rate, which counts crimes where they happened.
Islington’s residents by the crime decile of their neighbourhood (LSOA, about 1,500 people) in the English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (crime domain), where 1 is the highest-crime 10% of England’s neighbourhoods and 10 the lowest.
Lowest recorded crime in Mildmay, Highbury and Tufnell Park; highest in Junction
| Ward | Residents | Violent | Homes & vehicles | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mildmay | 13,967 | 24.1 | 15.6 | |
| Highbury | 13,807 | 29 | 20.7 | |
| Tufnell Park | 12,398 | 27 | 26.2 | |
| Hillrise | 14,970 | 29.7 | 25.3 | |
| St Mary's & St James' | 11,886 | 36.5 | 19.1 | |
| Canonbury | 12,671 | 33.7 | 21.9 | |
| Arsenal | 13,120 | 41 | 16.9 | |
| St Peter's & Canalside | 11,618 | 42.3 | 23.9 | |
| Holloway | 12,738 | 41.5 | 28.3 | |
| Barnsbury | 11,705 | 50.6 | 22.3 | |
| Tollington | 13,765 | 44.5 | 32.6 | |
| Laycock | 12,447 | 55.9 | 22.2 | |
| Finsbury Park | 14,652 | 54.8 | 23.5 | |
| Caledonian | 11,581 | 54.8 | 24.2 | |
| Clerkenwell | 10,957 | 54.1 | 25.3 | |
| Bunhill | 11,169 | 55.2 | 32.6 | |
| Junction | 12,858 | 73.7 | 32 |
| At or near | Reports | Mostly |
|---|---|---|
| Supermarkets | 4,105 | 61% shoplifting & theft |
| Shopping areas | 3,686 | 51% shoplifting & theft |
| College and university buildings | 1,962 | 30% shoplifting & theft |
| Hospitals | 1,770 | 57% violent |
| Car parks | 1,336 | 39% shoplifting & theft |
| Nightclubs | 1,300 | 52% shoplifting & theft |
| Sports and recreation grounds | 987 | 34% violent |
| Petrol stations | 513 | 36% shoplifting & theft |
| Conference and exhibition centres | 347 | 42% shoplifting & theft |
| Prisons | 160 | 53% violent |
A ward’s rate counts crimes where they happened, not where victims live, so Junction records 1.8× the violent crime per resident of the rest of Islington. police.uk places each crime at an anonymous map point; some are named for the kind of place (a supermarket, a car park), and each row adds up every place of that kind in Islington. We show only these, never streets or homes.
Crimes per 1,000 residents a year by council ward (the part of each ward inside Islington’s built-up area), September 2023 to August 2026. Beside it, the public places police.uk named most often.
Seven people died in collisions on Islington’s roads in 2021–2025
Police recorded 2,598 collisions with injuries inside Islington in five years, in which seven people died (4 were pedestrians). 446 people were killed or seriously injured: 123 on foot and 190 on a bicycle.
That is about what is typical for UK towns and cities of 50,000 or more: at their median rate (1.1 deaths per 100,000 residents a year), a town of Islington’s size would see about 12 in five years. With numbers this small, a death or two either way changes the picture, so Islington’s own rate (0.7) is context, not a ranking.
Counting serious injuries too, Islington had 41.2 people killed or seriously injured per 100,000 residents a year, above the median for UK towns and cities of 50,000 or more (30.3). 28% of them were on foot, against 31% across UK towns and cities of 50,000 or more.
Casualties are counted where the collision happened, not where people lived: a main road through town adds through-traffic, and residents’ own risk on roads elsewhere isn’t here. Seriously injured uses the Department for Transport’s adjusted figures, which even out the police forces’ different ways of recording injuries. There’s no national rate here: more than half of road deaths in England and Wales (58%) happen outside every town’s built-up area. Source: DfT road casualty statistics (STATS19), 2021–2025.
Collisions police recorded inside Islington’s built-up area, 2021–2025. Described here; not part of the Safety Grade.
Crime in the places around Islington
| Town | People | Violent | Homes & vehicles | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Islington | 216,309 | 44.1 | 24.3 | D |
| Hackney | 258,464 | 40.5 | 21.9 | D |
| Camden | 209,342 | 48.8 | 30.5 | D− |
| City of London | 7,820 | 252.8 | 111.5 | D− |
| Haringey | 264,069 | 38.4 | 24.6 | D |
| Westminster | 203,571 | 81.4 | 42.3 | D− |
| Tower Hamlets | 311,072 | 43.3 | 23 | D |
| Kensington and Chelsea | 143,348 | 39.4 | 32 | D |
Islington records more graded crime per resident than 3 of its 7 neighbours. Hackney, 1.8 miles away, records 40.5 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year (3-year average), against Islington’s 44.1.
Per 1,000 residents a year, the same three years. Tap a town for its safety page.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- A prison inside the boundary. police.uk counted 160 at or near a prison (53% violent) and 1,770 at or near a hospital over three years. They count in Islington’s rate, as they would for any town that has them.
- Where crimes happen, not where victims live. police.uk places each crime at a point near where it happened. Town centres with shops, stations, a hospital and nightlife record more crime per resident, and residents of nearby villages who come in to shop or go out are part of that count.
- Bigger towns record more per resident. Across UK towns, recorded crime per resident rises steeply with size, more than in the U.S., so a city’s grade sits low against the whole UK. The “towns its size” figures show where Islington sits among towns like it; they are context and don’t change the grade.
- Points are approximate. police.uk moves each point to the nearest of a set of anonymous map points, so crimes near the edge of the built-up area can fall either side of it.
Questions about safety in Islington
Is Islington safe?
Police recorded 44.1 violent and sexual offences and 24.3 burglaries, vehicle crimes and acts of criminal damage per 1,000 residents a year over the three years to August 2026 (police.uk, inside Islington’s built-up area). That earns a D for safety: less crime per resident than 8% of UK towns. Among 44 UK towns of 151,000 to 292,000 people, Islington is 33rd from the least crime.
What are the safest areas of Islington?
By council ward, Mildmay, Highbury and Tufnell Park record the least violent and household crime per resident: 24.1, 29 and 27 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year (3-year average), against 73.7 in Junction.
Is crime going up in Islington?
In the 12 months to August 2026, against the 12 months before, violent crime rose 9%, burglary, vehicle crime and damage fell 24%, shoplifting and theft held steady and anti-social behaviour held steady. Across UK towns and cities of 50,000 or more, violent crime held steady.
Is Islington town centre safe at night?
police.uk placed 1,300 crimes and reports at or near nightclubs in three years, 28% of them violent, and Junction ward records 73.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 of its residents a year. Over the last two years, violent crime peaked in July and was lowest in February.
What is the most common crime in Islington?
Violence & sexual offences: 8,683 in the 12 months to August 2026, which in police.uk includes harassment, stalking and assault without injury. Next came shoplifting (4,330) and other theft (3,564), with 8,983 reports of anti-social behaviour.
How does Islington compare with Barnet?
Barnet records 25.3 violent and sexual offences and 21 crimes against homes and vehicles per 1,000 residents a year, against Islington’s 44.1 and 24.3, over the same three years.
Sources: data.police.uk street-level crime, 36 months to August 2026, points inside the built-up-area boundary · ONS Census 2021, output areas summed to the ONS 2022 built-up area · MHCLG English Indices of Deprivation 2025, crime domain by LSOA (residents from ONS Census 2021) · Department for Transport road casualty statistics (STATS19), collisions 2021–2025, points inside the built-up-area boundary · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.