Recorded Crime: Geographic Breakdown

This data counts the number of crimes at three different geographic levels of London (borough, ward, LSOA) per month, according to crime type. 

Data is available in two files for each level of geography - the most up to date data covering the last available 24 months only and one covering all historic full calendar years.

In March 2019, the Metropolitan Police Service started to provide offences grouped by the updated Home Office crime classifications . This currently only covers the most recent 24 months of data, but historic data using the previous categories is available separately back to January 2008.

Below is a list of the crime types covered under the new HO categories (*not available at LSOA level):

Major Category:  Minor Category 

Arson and Criminal Damage - Arson / Criminal Damage

Burglary: Burglary - Business and Community / Burglary - Residential**

Drug Offences: Drug Trafficking / Possession of Drugs

Miscellaneous Crimes Against Society: Absconding from Lawful Custody / Bail Offences / Bigamy / Concealing an Infant Death Close to Birth / Dangerous Driving / Disclosure, Obstruction, False or Misleading State / Exploitation of Prostitution / Forgery or Use of Drug Prescription / Fraud or Forgery Associated with Driver Records / Going Equipped for Stealing / Handling Stolen Goods / Making, Supplying or Possessing Articles for use i / Obscene Publications / Offender Management Act / Other Forgery / Other Notifiable Offences / Perjury / Perverting Course of Justice / Possession of False Documents / Profitting From or Concealing Proceeds of Crime / Soliciting for Prostitution / Threat or Possession With Intent to Commit Crimina / Wildlife Crime

Possession of Weapons: Other Firearm Offences / Possession of Firearm with Intent / Possession of Firearms Offences / Possession of Other Weapon / Possession of Article with Blade or Point

Public Order Offences: Other Offences Against the State, or Public Order / Public Fear Alarm or Distress / Racially or Religiously Aggravated Public Fear / Violent Disorder

Robbery: Robbery of Business Property / Robbery of Personal Property

Sexual Offences*: Other Sexual Offences / Rape

Theft: Bicycle Theft / Other Theft / Shoplifting / Theft from Person

Vehicle Offences: Aggravated Vehicle Taking / Interfering with a Motor Vehicle / Theft from a Motor Vehicle / Theft or Taking of a Motor Vehicle

Violence Against the Person: Homicide / Violence with Injury / Violence without Injury

To note:

Fraud data was transferred from individual police forces to National Action Fraud in March 2013

 **Prior to April 2017, police recorded burglary offence categories were split such that dwellings (domestic burglary) and buildings other than dwellings (non-domestic burglary) were separately identifiable, where:

• domestic burglary covers residential premises, including attached buildings such as garages
• non-domestic burglary covers non-residential premises, including businesses and public buildings, as well as non-attached buildings within the grounds of a dwelling, such as sheds and detached garages

From April 2017 onwards a new classification of police recorded burglary was introduced, dividing offences into two categories of “residential” and “business and community”.

“Residential” burglary includes all buildings or parts of buildings that are within the boundary of, or form a part of, a dwelling and includes the dwelling itself, vacant dwellings, sheds, garages, outhouses, summer houses and any other structure that meets the definition of a building. It also includes other premises used for residential purposes such as houseboats, residential care homes and hostels.

“Business and community” burglary includes all buildings or parts of buildings that are used solely and exclusively for business purposes or are otherwise entirely outside the classification of residential burglary.

Due to an internal IT deployment, from 27th February these datasets may be temporarily disrupted. Work is ongoing to rebuild these datasets.