If you’ve heard that London is dystopian and dangerous – read this. It just isn’t, writes Sadiq Khan. Britain's capital has faced social media, press and political attacks designed to make residents and tourists feel unsafe. Ignore that: we have the facts.
Over the summer months, 5 million people will visit London, with its free museums and galleries, massive events featuring the biggest names in music and sport, and everything Britain’s capital city has to offer. And, as new figures released today show, they’ll be able to do so knowing London is one of the safest cities of its size in the world.
Data shows crime falling
On social media, a dark blizzard of disinformation – much of it coordinated and amplified by extreme groups and hostile foreign actors – has seen bots and trolls depict London as a “lawless” city where crime goes unpunished and basic social decency has all but disappeared. But let’s deal in facts: data published by the Metropolitan police this morning shows that nothing could be further from the truth. Across the capital, there were 35,000 fewer “neighbourhood crimes” – a category which includes burglaries, thefts, robberies and vehicle crime offences – in the past 12 months than in the year before.
This has not happened by accident. As mayor I have provided a record £1.26bn in funding for the capital’s police force, more than double the amount under my predecessor. That funding has enabled it to invest in cutting-edge technology to keep pace with criminals, including ebikes and drones to pursue phone snatchers down London’s busy streets, but it has also boosted neighbourhood policing in communities across our city.
West End phone thefts halved
Now, we have more evidence that our approach is yielding real results. In Westminster – home to many communities and the centre of the capital’s tourism – where we’ve doubled the number of police officers and introduced a new “command cell” to lead a crackdown on phone theft and robbery, neighbourhood crime has fallen by 36%. In the West End, the beating heart of London’s visitor economy, phone thefts are down by half. Since last year, thousands of police officers across our city have been arresting an extra 1,000 suspects every month on average.
Their work has been tireless. But the figures also reflect the astonishing impact of the violence reduction unit (VRU), which I set up in 2019. When first elected mayor, I promised to be tough on crime and tough on the complex causes of crime. Through the VRU, we’ve done just that, providing interventions and positive opportunities to prevent more than half a million young people from getting caught up in a vicious cycle of violence and exploitation. And note this: since it was set up, hospital admissions of young people after knife assault, have fallen by almost 50%.
Homicide rate at record low
To anyone who has spent time on social media – where narratives describing London as a dangerous city in decline have increased by between 150% and 200% in the past two years – or who has seen the non-stop negative press, today’s results might come as a surprise. In truth, though, they’re consistent with the progress we’ve made on cutting crime right across the board. Last year, we saw the fewest murders of those aged under 25 this century, and the capital’s homicide rate has fallen to the lowest level in recorded history on a per capita basis. It’s now lower than that in Berlin, Brussels, Barcelona, Madrid, Milan, Paris – and every US state.
Of course, one victim of crime is one too many: we can’t afford to be complacent. Instead, we must remain resolute in tackling all forms of criminality. That’s exactly what we’ll continue to do from City Hall, by providing the Met with the backing it needs and by working hard to tackle the underlying social and economic conditions that can cause crime to flourish.
I understand why online disinformation might make potential tourists think twice about visiting London this summer. That’s why, today, I want to send a clear message to anyone considering coming to the capital: the real London – the London that millions of us know and love – is not the dark dystopia you see on distorted social media feeds. Diverse, dynamic and prosperous, the real London is one of the safest megacities in the word. These are the facts. And this summer, we’re ready to welcome you with open arms.
