Statistical review of 2024: crime in London vs UK and the security industry response
London’s 2024 crime picture differed from the England and Wales average. This review summarises the data and how private security — including Novus Altair and Novus Guard — supported deterrence and reporting.
Overview of crime in London in 2024
Total crime increased by about 18%. The rate per 1,000 people was 105.8, up from 100.9 the previous year — above the national average and linked to economic pressure and post-pandemic social change.
Violent crime — 252,545 offences recorded; violent crime rate 27.9 per 100,000 people, up from 21.8.
Knife crime rose 2.7%; knife crimes with injury up 4%. London recorded 15,016 knife-related offences.
Sexual offences reported a 51% increase, reflecting higher reporting and potentially more incidents.
Robbery up 9.9%; business robberies up 82.5%. Mobile phone theft accounted for a large share of street robbery and theft from the person.
National comparison
England and Wales recorded about 89.7 crimes per 1,000 people in 2023/24 — lower than London’s rate. Homicides fell slightly to 562 in the year to June 2024. Knife crime nationally rose about 4%, with London contributing a significant share.
Enforcement and industry countermeasures
Agencies such as the National Crime Agency targeted fraud and organised crime with large-scale operations. Industry responses included more CCTV (including AI-assisted monitoring), community policing visibility, cybersecurity investment and public awareness on knife crime and personal safety.
Novus Altair and Novus Guard
Private guarding in London emphasised conflict management training, visible patrols and coordination with police — particularly at construction sites, events and retail. Novus Altair’s SIA-licensed teams provide deterrence, access control and incident logging through the Barking control room.
Novus Guard supports AI-assisted threat detection, real-time response workflows, community safety programmes in high-crime areas, analytics for hotspot mapping, and mobile tools via Novus Guard Pro and Novus Guard Solo for discreet reporting.
Conclusion
2024 was challenging for London crime statistics, but technology and trained guarding — including Novus Guard deployments — helped buyers deter theft, document incidents and align with policing. National trends were mixed; London’s higher baseline underlines the need for evidence-led guarding rather than headcount alone.
