Lewisham had 2,302 crimes in January 2025, the most in South East London, with violence and theft being the most common.
In Lewisham, they recorded 2,302 crimes that month. That’s actually a little less than in December, which had 2,340 crimes, a difference of just 38. Violence was, sadly, the most common type of crime, with 688 violent acts against people.
501 of those violent acts were violence without injuries. Conversely, 187 incidents involved actual injuries. Theft was the next most frequent crime, with police recording 503 cases.
About 141 of those thefts were shoplifting incidents. Another 104 were thefts from other people directly. Bicycle thefts accounted for 32 reports, and the remaining thefts were classified as “other.”
Vehicle and drug crimes ranked third and fourth, respectively. There were 259 vehicle-related crimes. Stealing from vehicles accounted for 119 of them, while stealing vehicles accounted for another 110.
Tampering with cars happened in 28 instances. Two incidents were aggravated vehicle takings. Drug offenses totaled 195, with possession of drugs making up 99 of these crimes.
The trafficking of drugs accounted for 96 cases. Possessing weapons was the least reported crime, with only 12 reports made. A police spokesperson stated they have a focused Lewisham team.
This team knows what matters to residents and businesses, and the police dedicate resources to fight the crimes. They closely work with retailers and the community too. Retail theft, that sometimes turns violent, is targeted.
Officers regularly patrol the town center area. Specialist teams also specifically target these offenders. Recently, they arrested 30 people for various crimes, including theft and weapon possession.
It was a coordinated effort to catch criminals. Two were caught with stolen stuff January 25. The stolen goods, and theft tools, were worth about £450. Violent crime concerns both residents and police.
Removing offenders is clearly still a priority for police forces. Special detectives and experienced units assist them. They want to remove high-harm offenders right off the streets.
When appropriate, they use Criminal Behaviour Orders. They hope to significantly stop repeat offending, but public help is useful during investigations. If you have any information at all, tell them.
Contact your local team or dial 101. Call 999 for any real emergency!