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London’s Mayor Says Falling Crime Shows the City Is Safe Despite Alarming Online Claims
City Hall said 35,000 fewer offences were recorded as the Met doubled West End patrols and used targeted intelligence to curb robbery and phone theft.
On Thursday, London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan and Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley announced neighbourhood crime fell 14% across London in the 12 months to June, representing more than 35,000 fewer offences.
Mayor Khan blamed a 200% surge in negative social media stories over the past two years for portraying London as unsafe, countering what officials called a 'dystopian hellhole' narrative promoted by figures like Elon Musk and Nigel Farage.
Thefts from people dropped 23% , personal robberies fell 11% , and vehicle crime declined 9% ; Met Police's phone-theft crackdown cut thefts by 13,000 across London and halved West End numbers.
Westminster recorded the steepest reduction at 36 per cent with nearly 14,000 fewer offences, with a new West End Command Cell funded by City Hall coordinating intelligence between police and business partners; Rowley called the results a 'massive achievement'.
London recorded 97 homicides in 2025—the fewest since 2014 and lower per capita than Paris, Berlin or New York—yet Victims Commissioner Andrea Simon warned victims continued experiencing poor communication and lengthy delays.