London crime falls as Sadiq Khan pushes back against decline narrative

London,UPDATED: Jul 23, 2026 21:28 IST

London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley on Thursday sought to reassure visitors that the city is safe, pointing to a fall in recorded street crime and pushing back against what Khan described as an online narrative portraying the British capital as dangerous and in decline.

The Metropolitan Police said neighbourhood crime, which includes phone theft, pickpocketing, residential burglary and vehicle crime, fell 14 per cent in the year to June. In Westminster, home to Parliament, Soho and Leicester Square, these offences fell by more than a third, while they were down by a quarter in neighbouring Camden. Authorities also said violent crime has been falling, with police recording 97 homicides in London in 2025, the fewest since 2014 and a lower rate per head of population than Paris, Berlin or New York.

Khan said that in the past two years, “we've seen a 200% increase in stories on social media about London being in quote unquote decline' or London being dangerous.” He said such claims had spread online and had also been echoed by right-leaning politicians, often alongside anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim views. Khan blamed an online “outrage economy” that monetises negativity.

A large part of that criticism has been directed at Khan, London's first Muslim mayor, who has been in office since 2016. He has been targeted by X owner Elon Musk and US President Donald Trump, who has called him a “stone-cold loser” and a “terrible, terrible mayor.” Khan told The Associated Press, “We know there are bot farms making money from negative stories about London. We know that there are state actors in Russia and China and MAGA-backed influencers in the USA who want to do London down. Why? Because we're liberal, we're progressive, we are multicultural and we're incredibly successful.” He added, “If the social media companies don't sort themselves out, I think there's got to be regulation.”

Khan said only part of London's crime story was reflected in the fall in violent crime and street offences, and pointed to a rise in hate crimes targeting Muslims and Jews, driven in part by conflicts in the Middle East. “We've got to make sure we give these communities the confidence to report these crimes,” he said. “We've also got to be sure we support them to make their places of worship safer, so nobody's scared to practice their faith.”

He also acknowledged the effect of everyday offences on life in the city, with many Londoners having experienced phone-snatching or seen more shoplifting and fare-dodging. Police said Thursday's figures reflected a mix of visible patrols in crime hotspots, intelligence-led operations against repeat offenders and the use of technology. Rowley highlighted what he called the force's “innovative and creative” use of facial recognition technology, though the approach has also been contentious. “There's classic police work, officers on the streets, supported by the best of 21st century technology that's making a difference,” he said.

Rowley took charge of the Metropolitan Police in 2022 as the force tried to rebuild public confidence after a series of scandals and an independent review that found it was affected by sexism, homophobia and institutional racism. The force has also faced accusations from the right of a “two-tier” style of policing biased against white people. Rowley rejected such claims and said “the entire community can have faith in the Met.” He added, “We're routinely invited to join either side of the culture wars. We're politely declining those invites. We operate under the law without fear or favor. We're here to protect every citizen and we do that with equal vigor.”

Some residents and visitors also said their experiences did not match the bleak picture seen online. Julianne Sweeten, a 21-year-old university student from Chesapeake, Virginia, who is studying in London, said the city “feels a lot safer than the U.S.” and added, “There's very little threat of gun violence,” while her concerns about phone-snatching had not come true so far. Artist Vicky Hawkins, 78, who has lived in London all her life, said crime was “about the same” as it had always been. “I know people feel more unsafe, I think, these days. But I don't,” she said. “But I know not to push my luck.” Overall, the message from City Hall and the police was that crime figures are improving, even as concerns remain over hate crime and the everyday offences that affect people across London.

With PTI Inputs

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