Sadiq Khan has slammed right-wing voices for painting London as a “dystopian hellhole” as new stats show crime is falling in the capital.
You’ve heard the warnings. You’ve seen the headlines. There are many voices on the right who would have you believe that ever since Sadiq Khan took the keys to City Hall, London has become a lawless, post-apocalyptic wasteland where only the bold dare tread.
But you shouldn’t believe everything you read online (or in the Mail and Telegraph).
The latest figures released by City Hall have revealed that crime has fallen over the last year.
In the 12 months to June compared with the previous year, neighbourhood crime in London has fallen by 14 per cent, with around 35,000 fewer offences recorded across the capital.
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The number of robberies, thefts, burglaries and vehicle offences all fell, including 23,311 fewer thefts from the person and 2,943 fewer personal robberies, down 23 per cent and 11 per cent respectively.
Vehicle crime also fell by 8,737 offences, a 9 per cent drop.
The trend can be seen in the busiest parts of London as well. In Westminster, crime was down by more than a third, the biggest drop of any London borough, thanks to a major police crackdown in the West End.
A focus on phone snatching offences also help thefts drop by around 13,000 across London.
So, it’s no wonder than London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan is sick and tired of the likes of Nigel Farage, Donald Trump and Elon Musk trying to depict London as a crime-riddled dystopia.
Sir Sadiq said: “Whether Musk, Farage, or the captains of online disinformation, they want to paint London as a dystopian hellhole.
“These latest stats on high-volume crime show crime is coming down even further. London is getting safer.”
The neighbourhood crime stats come off the back of the number of homicides in London dropping to its lowest level in more than a decade last year.
The violent crime rate in London is now lower than that of many other major cities, as well as European cities such as Paris, Berlin, Madrid and Milan – and every single US state.
Sadiq Khan said: “At the start of the year, we set out the huge strides the capital had made tackling violent crime. Today, I’m really pleased to announce that thanks to my record investment in the Met, the hard work of officers and London’s Violence Reduction Unit, further significant reductions have been made in neighbourhood crime across London.
“There have been 35,000 fewer neighbourhood crimes – a drop of 14 per cent – with robberies of personal property, thefts from person, residential burglaries and vehicle crime offences falling London wide in the last year. In the West End alone, we have seen phone thefts halved and 14,000 fewer neighbourhood crimes, following a doubling of officers on patrol in the heart of the capital. A new Command Cell in the heart of the West End, funded by City Hall, is also serving as a central point to share intelligence, identify suspects and help prevent robberies, theft and anti-social behaviour.
“With more than five million extra visitors coming to London during the peak tourism season and the start of the school summer holidays, the Met Police are building on this work with extra officers in hotspot areas, tackling issues that matter to local communities including anti-social behaviour, robbery and mobile phone theft.
“We know many people online and across the world have been trying to talk London down, but the evidence is clear – London is one of safest global cities in the world, crime is falling and we’ll continue working together to build a safer London for everyone.”
Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said the figures are a “massive achievement” for the force, praising the work of officers across the capital.
“The figures are clear: London is safe and getting safer each year,” he said.