Written by Tomas Corej
Londoners – including LSE students – have been facing real issues with crime. However, data does not suggest the UK’s capital has become “lawless” as far-right politicians have been claiming.
Few topics in London have been attracting as much attention as crime, and for many LSE students who moved to the city in recent months, it has been of particular concern. This issue, amplified by social media algorithms, has occupied the centre of political discourse.
In September, Donald Trump described London Mayor, Sir Sadiq Khan, as “among the worst mayors in the world”. “Crime in London is through the roof.”
Trump – with a long history of Islamophobia – later accused Khan of imposing “sharia law” in the British capital. The Guardian noted that his views are “increasingly accepted wisdom” in British right-wing circles, with Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, having portrayed London as “lawless”.
The perception of rising crime has also gained political ground more generally. A YouGov poll published in September shows that 51% of Brits think violent crime in London is rising, while only 7% believe the opposite.
However, the reality is more complex.
Simon Harding, Director of Criminology Services Limited, explains that London is “presenting a range of problems, which have hit the headlines lately”.
“Such media coverage tends to ebb and flow regarding crime, and can often be politically driven”, he tells The Beaver.
Crime is certainly a real issue for many in London who have witnessed it firsthand, including numerous LSE students. The Beaver spoke to James* whose wallet was stolen on the LSE campus on his birthday. James explains he placed his bag on a chair in the basement where his friends were sitting. “Then, I went to get my lunch. During that time, I did not take care of my bag. But, three of my friends were there, so it was not left unattended per se,” he says.
When he came back, he ate his lunch, and walked towards the library when suddenly he got a notification on his phone that his payment had been declined. “I reached into my bag and my wallet was gone, but everything else was still there. So the robber walked to the Apple Store and tried to buy an iPhone, or something of high value. But because I had too little money in my prepaid foreign exchange card, the payment didn’t go through,” James continues.
As he explains, this incident led him to be “more vigilant”, even on campus. “Because I was already aware that London wasn’t the safest place, but I didn’t expect this unsafeness would permeate into the university,” he adds.
There indeed are real challenges London experiences, including an increase in shoplifting.
One issue that has gained most of the attention is phone snatching. According to the Metropolitan Police, around 80,000 devices were stolen in London last year: amounting to one every 6.7 minutes.
“This has increased. It is largely due to the fact that phones are more expensive,” Harding claims. Besides their increased price, smartphones also permit online banking, and can contain multiple personal details that allow for ongoing fraud and banking theft.
On the other hand, Londoners are less likely to be a victim of violent crime than people across the rest of England and Wales, the Mayor’s office data demonstrates.
While Mayor Khan’s critics often point out that the number of knife offences has almost doubled in the last few years, Harding explains that London’s violent robbery at knifepoint is “lower than in other European cities”, and gun crime is “low and almost completely isolated to certain street gangs and organised crime”.
Of course, measuring the crime rates comes with methodological challenges. For example, as London’s population has been rising, he doubts whether available statistics fully account for demographic changes.
Regardless, the Mayor’s office data indicates substantial improvements, including a drop in homicides to a ten-year low. In 2024, London had 1.2 recorded homicides per 100,000 residents, which is lower than New York (4.0), Berlin (3.4), Brussels (3.2), Toronto (1.7), and Paris (1.4).
Altogether, there were approximately 9,000 fewer violent crimes leading to injury across London in the past 12 months, a 12% decrease from the previous year.
Alberto Costa, Professor of Applied Criminology at the University of West London, believes that there is a “perception gap”, that is amplified by social media, which “tends to highlight sensational events, creating a feedback loop of fear, while official data shows violent crime leading to injury has actually been falling across London boroughs”.
Furthermore, the UK adopts “comprehensive crime recording standards, which include minor incidents, compared to the recording approach used in European systems”.
If there are any increases in particular types of crime, Harding believes they have “almost certainly been assisted by a decrease in the number of police officers in London”.
Earlier this year, the Metropolitan Force announced it would have to lose 1,700 officers due to a £260m hole in its budget. According to Mayor Khan, the funding crisis is the consequence of 14 years of the Conservative government.
That said, Harding emphasises that “crime reduction is not only the role of the police but of many different agencies, who all need to play a part”.
“This was more effective 15 to 20 years ago than it is now, due to government cuts and political decisions. The only way to address the current crime challenges is to return to this way of partnership, and to generate new ideas and actions,” Harding summarises.
In this environment, many LSE students are taking precautions even if they have not personally experienced anything. Ayesha, an international student, says she “generally feels safe” in London, but wants to “stay aware”.
“During the day, everything feels fine, but at night after 10PM, especially when I’m walking back from the tube, bus, or through quieter streets, I’m definitely more cautious. It’s not that anything bad has happened, it’s just that you learn to stay alert in a big city,” she explains.
Meanwhile, Peter* tells The Beaver he comes from a country “where the safety situation is pretty bad”, so he “knows how to take care” of himself. He says he has not experienced any issues in London.
“I know it is biased because I am a man, and 6’1”. I also try not to take risks and be mindful about the things I do. But I have had really close friends — two female and one male — who have actually had their phones stolen,” he adds.
In a comment for The Beaver, LSE also said student safety on campus is “of utmost importance”. “The LSE Security team is available on campus 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They can be contacted by phone or in person by any student or staff member wishing to report a crime or raise a concern.”
The Estates Division has produced a comprehensive ‘Staying Safe’ guide for students, newly updated for 2025/26, which offers practical advice on staying safe, both on and off campus. It also includes a detailed list of contacts for support and guidance for anyone who believes they may have been a victim of crime.
In addition, the ‘Staying Safe’ guide is available online, and is also available in print from all school main building reception areas and halls of residence.
In conclusion, the issue of crime in London is of utmost importance for many Londoners, notwithstanding the LSE students. While it is unlikely to go away, it is crucial for this discussion to be driven by facts and expertise as opposed to hatred spread by politicians.
The Mayor of London’s office was contacted for comment, but The Beaver did not receive a reply.
*Names have been changed to preserve anonymity.
