West End Crime Watch: December & January Round-Up
Enforcement and what it means for the West End
In our West End Crime Watch, we share a bi-monthly overview of the activity helping to keep our district safe.
This edition looks at the recent decline in recorded crime, which stands in stark contrast to negative online perceptions of London, and highlights the growing collaboration between local authorities, police, and businesses to keep the city safe and welcoming.
Setting the record straight
Over the past few months, a notable increase in online content claiming that London is unsafe has been on the rise. “This isn’t about whether London is unsafe. It’s about how online narratives form, spread, and shape public perception”, says KCL expert Dr Mark J. Hill in The Standard in January.
While incidents of crime rightly draw public attention, it’s equally important to challenge misconceptions. A recent Economist article, entitled “London is far safer than violent viral videos will have you believe”, highlighted how social media can distort perceptions, reinforcing a false image of London as “a hotbed of violence and knife crime.” In reality, the data tells a different story.
The bigger picture: crime figures for 2025
The latest figures from the Metropolitan Police paint a positive picture for London overall:
- Total recorded crime down 2.4%
- Homicide down 16% (lowest in five years)
- Personal robbery down 15%
- Violence with injury down 14%
To put this in context, London’s homicide rate remains lower than every U.S. state and lower than major international cities including New York, Toronto, Paris, Brussels, Berlin, and Madrid.
For the West End, these numbers reinforce a central message: our area remains one of London’s safest and best-policed destinations, even as we see visitor numbers increase. HOLBA’s footfall data showing a 5% year-on-year increase in 2025, marking the highest visitor numbers since 2020.
Tackling mobile phone theft
Mobile phone theft rose sharply in early 2025 but decisive action is helping. The Met’s coordinated, intelligence-led, targeted enforcement is delivering measurable progress:
- Theft in the West End has fallen by more than 25% since April 2025
- A major international criminal network—linked to around 40% of stolen phones across London—has been successfully disrupted
- Police presence in hotspot locations has doubled, providing greater visibility and faster response times
A deeper dive
For a more detailed discussion, listen to Mark Williams, HOLBA's Deputy Chief Executive on BusinessLDN's latest podcast. He joins Sharon Sawers, Chief Communications Officer at the Metropolitan Police and Dr Mark Hill, Lecturer in Cultural Computation at King’s College London, to discuss levels of crime in the capital and what businesses and central London partners are doing to keep the capital safe.
A coordinated local response
Westminster City Council has launched a dedicated Police and Council Tasking (PACT) Team, combining enforcement, intelligence, and community insight to address anti-social behaviour locally.
The new 18-strong unit brings together:
- 9 Metropolitan Police officers (funded by Westminster City Council)
- 9 Anti-Social Behaviour City Inspectors
Working from January 2026, they focus on emerging hotspots identified through reports from partners including HOLBA, My Local Bobby, and our business members.
Pedicab enforcement: early results under the new PSPO
The Public Spaces Protection Order (Nuisance from Pedicabs) 2025 gives enforcement teams stronger powers to curb anti-social behaviour linked to pedicabs, such as amplified music, unsafe driving, or pavement obstruction.
Over the past two months, joint monthly operations, led by Westminster City Council, the Metropolitan Police, TfL, Immigration Enforcement, My Local Bobby, and City Inspectors, have delivered clear results:
- 200+ pedicab offences addressed since the PSPO came into effect
- 68 Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) issued in St James’s alone
- 200 FPNs and 35 prosecutions across 2025, with fines totalling £29,846
These early outcomes mark an important step forward as TfL prepares to introduce wider regulatory powers in Spring 2026.
With increasing police visibility and partnership working across the West End, coordinated operations continue to drive real results on the ground. HOLBA, with our partners, will continue to turn the tide online and present a safe and vibrant London.
How members can help
Timely, accurate intelligence is vital. Members are encouraged to report incidents, recurring issues. These reports directly inform policing priorities and tasking decisions, ensuring resources are targeted where they’re most needed.