London’s murder rate drops to lowest in a decade after organised crime gang blitz

The murder rate in London is the lowest for more than a decade after a blitz on organized crime gangs and the expansion of facial recognition technology.

There were 97 homicides in the capital in the year to January compared with 109 in 2024.

That represents an 11 per cent drop and a huge improvement on 2021 when a record 30 teenagers were among those the 133 killed.

There were only eight teenagers among the victims in 2025.

The latest figures released by the Met today (Monday) are also attributed to the force prioritising the reduction of violence against women and girls (VAWG) Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said.

The murder rate now stands at 1.1 person per 100,000, the lowest since records began.

That is also below New York with a figure of 2.8 and Berlin 3.2. A thousand more arrests were made on average per month last year.

The commissioner said: ‘I am privileged to lead such extraordinary people. Three years ago, I pledged that we would make London safer through more trust and less crime. London’s record‑low homicide rate is the result of relentless work: arresting 1,000 more offenders each month, using innovative technology such as live facial recognition to solve more crime, and taking precise action against the most dangerous gangs, organized criminals, and predatory men who target women and children.

‘The results speak for themselves: fewer lives lost, fewer families shattered. Every murder is a tragedy, but we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to drive down serious violence. This work will not stop, and neither will our determination to keep Londoners safe.’

The Met has prioritised the smashing of county lines drug operations where crime groups deal and deliver drugs across the UK as they often provide the weapons and stoke the violence which fuels the murder rate.

There were 1,600 arrests of suspected county lines affiliates.

Meanwhile the Met and City Hall have been working with schools and youth groups to try to steer impressionable young people away from serious violence and particularly the routine carrying of knives.  The violence reduction unit (VRU) was set up in 2019 following a surge in the teenage murder rate as part of the strategy.

There is also the V100 list which identifies the 100 men who the police deem to be a threat to women in the capital. The focus on these so called ‘high harm’ individuals has also helped reduce the murder rate, the Met said.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: ‘It’s clear that our sustained focus on being both tough on crime and tough on the complex causes of crime is working.  This includes investing in intervention and prevention work led by my Violence Reduction Unit – the first in England. At the same time, we’re supporting the Met by more than doubling City Hall’s investment in policing to help boost police numbers and relentlessly target the worst offenders and criminal gangs. But we are not complacent. One death will always be one too many.

‘That’s why I’ll continue to do all I can to invest in the police and provide positive opportunities for young Londoners so that we can build on this significant progress and continue making London safer for everyone.’

The Met and the Home Office are looking to expand the use of facial recognition technology using the images of thousands of images on the police custody database to help bring offenders to justice. The Met’s clear up rate for murders was 95 per cent last year helped by technology and the increasing use of evidence gathered from suspects’ mobile phones and other devices.

Director of London’s VRU Libby Peck said: ‘A lot has been painted about safety in London, but the fact is homicide levels are at record lows and violence continues to fall. ‘

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