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London Homicides Hit Record Low as Met, Mayor Challenge Crime Narrative

Police attribute the decline to tougher enforcement, new technology, prevention efforts.

Overview

  • The capital recorded 97 homicides in 2025, down 11% from 2024, with a per‑capita rate of 1.1 per 100,000 that undercuts New York, Paris and Berlin.
  • Police highlight youth violence reductions, reporting the fewest under‑25 victims this century and teenage killings down from 30 in 2021 to eight in 2025.
  • The Met credits roughly 1,000 extra arrests each month, use of live facial recognition, and targeted action against gangs and predatory offenders, with detectives achieving about a 95% homicide solve rate.
  • A recent vetting review found 131 officers and staff committed crimes or misconduct after inadequate checks during 2019–2023 recruiting, prompting pledges to tighten vetting.
  • City leaders push back on claims from figures including President Donald Trump, even as concerns persist over rising acquisitive crime such as mobile‑phone theft, with 117,211 handsets stolen in 2024.