London's Safety: What the Numbers Really Say

London's crime scene is not as grim as some might think. The city's police chief, Mark Rowley, recently shared some promising numbers. Murders in London have dropped to their lowest in over a decade. When you consider how many people live in the city, the murder rate is actually lower than in places like Los Angeles and New York. But why do some people still think London is dangerous? Former U. S. President Donald Trump has spoken about London as if it's a hotspot for crime. He even claimed there are areas police won't go to. Meanwhile, Elon Musk, the owner of X, warned about violence coming to London during a speech to a right-wing group.Rowley believes misinformation is to blame. Fake videos and stories spread online can shape people's views, even if they're not true. He wrote about this in The Times, urging people to look at the real data. The numbers do show that serious violent crime in London is decreasing. There were fewer murders in 2025 than the year before, and overall violent crime has been on the decline since 2014. Even the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, wrote about this in the Guardian, saying that London is making progress in fighting violent crime. However, not all crime is on the decline. Shoplifting, for example, has hit record highs. This might be why some people feel like crime is worse than it really is. It's all about perspective.