How Safe is London for Students?

London is perfectly safe, so long as you aren't a complete cock and do stupid things, eg. if you walk around Ilford by yourself at 3am in the morning playing with your iPod in one hand and showing off your mobile phone in the other, then frankly it would be your own stupidty that gets you mugged and/or beaten up. If you have an iota of common sense, then London is perfectly safe.

As for regards the London bombings, if they ever happen again then there's nothing you can do about it - it was just chance/bad luck that the people who died that day happened to be on those particular tube trains. There's no point living your life in fear, so just don't worry about it, and get on with your life.

Reply 2

Socrates

17

Angel Interceptor

if you walk around Ilford by yourself at 3am in the morning playing with your iPod in one hand and showing off your mobile phone in the other, then frankly it would be your own stupidty that gets you mugged and/or beaten up.

Seriously though, I reckon if you were doing that anywhere, you'd most likely getted mugged and beaten up.

Reply 3

dazmanultra

You have to be careful wherever you are in London - Westminster has its fair share of pick pockets and muggings. So don't just think that it's the poor areas that are the worst.

Like any big city, you have to keep your wits about you and be smart.

Reply 4

ProfessorFitBoy

Hi

I'm thinking of going to either Kings College London or University College London to read either Maths or Chemical Engineering respectively.

I was wondering if anyone can tell me how safe London is as a city for a student.
I realise that when it comes to crime we all need to try to get on with our lives how we want to get on with them but it does disturb me at times that I could be living somewhere where there has been some stabbings for example recently and of course the London bombings.

Also, does anyone have any advice on staying safe when living in London?

Thanks.

Regarding the London Bombings - when it first happened and when the circle line opened, I was to say a little concerned, even by the look of anyone remotely looking arabic with a proper holder bag. Nearly a year gone, and you just don't think about it. You're still aware, and I'm quite sure the public is as well, and anything suspicous would trigger a check now. But, I hope that's a day that will never crop up again.

London is good for students. But even with a 1000 friends, sometimes you can feel extremely lonely. Big City, with little concern and no community. Harsh, but true.

Stabbings are frequent in London. Probably 90% of them will never hit the news. In last week round my way, 1 person murdered by a proper beating and another guy Had his head caved in (literally). Only hit the local paper in page 4.

Westminster = pick pocketing and buglary.
East london = pick pocketing, drugs and armed robbery
West London = everything!
South London = the worst by a long way
North (east) London = Robbery and anything goes on here
NW London = pretty quiet on a whole

Just generalizing. But these area's usually have a social pattern. I'd say the safest part of London has to be North West (not NW10, which is quite West), apart from the City (EC).

Reply 5

SevenDeuceOff

14

Invest in a rape whistle.

Reply 6

dazmanultra

I'm really not sure if Lambeth and Southark etc are any worse than areas such as Finsbury Park, Hackney or Harringary Green Lanes. I don't know the crime statistics off by heart... Kings Cross is a surprisingly scrabby area, and walking even around the Picadilly Circus area (especially once you start getting towards Soho) on a Friday or Saturday night you'll get offered everything under the sun from coke to smack to E's to women.

Reply 7

3.1415926535897

10

/\Shaz\/

Invest in a rape whistle.

you'd rather get raped than listen to one of those annoying things.

Reply 8

Lambeth is notorious for drugs and robbings.
Hackney is a slum which is known for drop outs and squats with loads of drugs.

Southwark for crime will definitely beat Hackney. Just looked at official stats for April 06, and Southwark is more prominent on the surface with its failings whereas Hackney has hidden crime such as drugs and theft from shops etc.

Southwark, you will get robbed! Rape is also the biggest in London with 1 murder for April (compared to 2 in Hackney!)
- Biggest for jackings
- Biggest for Robbery
- Biggest for rape
All for the whole of London. I dodn't check every statistic, but I'm sure they would finish top for a lot more.

London Crime stats overall by Borough (not definitive due to type of crime. Lots could be for 'petty offences'). Gives you an idea though:

April 2006 in order with most crime

Westminster 5,399
Newham 3,491
Camden 3,378
Islington 3,264
Ealing 3,207
Southwark 3,123
Lambeth 3,081
Croydon 3,022
Barnet 2,881
Brent 2,868
Bromley 2,836
Lewisham 2,773
Tower Hamlets 2,754
Hackney 2,731
Hillingdon 2,698
Greenwich 2,625
Haringey 2,622
Wandsworth 2,542
Waltham Forest 2,437
Enfield 2,388
Hammersmith & Fulham 2,250
Hounslow 2,205
Redbridge 2,204
Kensington & Chelsea 1,983
Barking & Dagenham 1,931
Havering 1,867
Bexley 1,685
Harrow 1,483
Merton 1,378
Sutton 1,256
Kingston upon Thames 1,190
Richmond Upon Thames 1,058
Heathrow Airport 511

So looking at this list, we can make the presumption that universities are in the following areas for crime (highest first):

1) Kings College (KCL)
1) Westminster (Marylebone & Regent Street Campus)
1) London School of Economics (LSE)
1) London School of Arts
5) University of East London (Newham)
6) University College (UCL)
6) SOAS
8) London Met (Uni of North London)
8) City (Islington) I believe (on the verge)
10) Goldsmiths
11) Middlesex
12) QMUL
13) Brunel (assuming its in Hillingdon)
14) Greenwich University
15) Imperial College (ICL)
16) Kingston University (the safest area)

Reply 9

dazmanultra

I'm really not sure if Lambeth and Southark etc are any worse than areas such as Finsbury Park, Hackney or Harringary Green Lanes. I don't know the crime statistics off by heart... Kings Cross is a surprisingly scrabby area, and walking even around the Picadilly Circus area (especially once you start getting towards Soho) on a Friday or Saturday night you'll get offered everything under the sun from coke to smack to E's to women.

Kings Cross is fine - they've cleaned out most of the crap around the area and policing here is much better these days.

Being offered drugs, etc doesn't necessarily make an area dangerous, and Picadilly Circus, Soho, etc are fine to walk around, even at night, as they're busy into the early hours and there's always people about, and the policing around central is very proactive.

Reply 10

walshie

Lambeth is notorious for drugs and robbings.
Hackney is a slum which is known for drop outs and squats with loads of drugs.

Southwark for crime will definitely beat Hackney. Just looked at official stats for April 06, and Southwark is more prominent on the surface with its failings whereas Hackney has hidden crime such as drugs and theft from shops etc.

Southwark, you will get robbed! Rape is also the biggest in London with 1 murder for April (compared to 2 in Hackney!)
- Biggest for jackings
- Biggest for Robbery
- Biggest for rape
All for the whole of London. I dodn't check every statistic, but I'm sure they would finish top for a lot more.

London Crime stats overall by Borough (not definitive due to type of crime. Lots could be for 'petty offences'). Gives you an idea though:

April 2006 in order with most crime

Westminster 5,399
Newham 3,491
Camden 3,378
Islington 3,264
Ealing 3,207
Southwark 3,123
Lambeth 3,081
Croydon 3,022
Barnet 2,881
Brent 2,868
Bromley 2,836
Lewisham 2,773
Tower Hamlets 2,754
Hackney 2,731
Hillingdon 2,698
Greenwich 2,625
Haringey 2,622
Wandsworth 2,542
Waltham Forest 2,437
Enfield 2,388
Hammersmith & Fulham 2,250
Hounslow 2,205
Redbridge 2,204
Kensington & Chelsea 1,983
Barking & Dagenham 1,931
Havering 1,867
Bexley 1,685
Harrow 1,483
Merton 1,378
Sutton 1,256
Kingston upon Thames 1,190
Richmond Upon Thames 1,058
Heathrow Airport 511

So looking at this list, we can make the presumption that universities are in the following areas for crime (highest first):

1) Kings College (KCL)
1) University College (UCL)
1) SOAS
1) Westminster (Marylebone & Regent Street Campus)
1) London School of Economics (LSE)
1) London School of Arts
7) University of East London (Newham)
8) London Met (Uni of North London)
8) City (Islington) I believe (on the verge)
10) Goldsmiths
11) Middlesex
12) QMUL
13) Brunel (assuming its in Hillingdon)
14) Greenwich University
15) Kingston University (the safest area)

The boroughs don't have equal populations, hence the above figures are quite meaningless, since it does take into account a crime frequency/unit population per area. Also, as you said, they're not broken down into the types of crime, so I think they're quite useless.

Reply 11

Angel Interceptor

The boroughs don't have equal populations, hence the above figures are quite meaningless, since it does take into account a crime frequency/unit population per area. Also, as you said, they're not broken down into the types of crime, so I think they're quite useless.

Well, since Westminster has one of the least populations of any borough, I think its fairly conclusive to say that Westminster sits fairly on top!

Westminster was notorious for ABH, Harrasment, Sexual Offences (2nd worst behind Lambeth).

Buglary was 2nd worst.
Street snatches was woeful behind Lambeth & Southward. This 3 are way out in front.
Theft = 1967 cases. 2nd worst was 918 for Camden.

So you can see, for university students as a whole, you are more prone to crime from the universities in Westminster. Crime is visible in Westminster and you are quite likely to become a victim of it.

As much as some other areas are slums, crime is more in hous with drugs etc.

Reply 12

walshie

Well, since Westminster has one of the least populations of any borough, I think its fairly conclusive to say that Westminster sits fairly on top!

Westminster was notorious for ABH, Harrasment, Sexual Offences (2nd worst behind Lambeth).

Buglary was 2nd worst.
Street snatches was woeful behind Lambeth & Southward. This 3 are way out in front.
Theft = 1967 cases. 2nd worst was 918 for Camden.

So you can see, for university students as a whole, you are more prone to crime from the universities in Westminster. Crime is visible in Westminster and you are quite likely to become a victim of it.

As much as some other areas are slums, crime is more in hous with drugs etc.

I still believe that London isn't that dangerous - if you're sensible and ensure that you're off wandering by yourself at silly hours, then you have little chance of getting into trouble.

'Quite likely to become a victim' is a complete over-exaggeration.

Also, on your last point, a correlation does not necessarily prove causation.

Reply 13

^ Pratik, I agree with you. London isn't that dangerous. It might shock a few people to see there beloved Universities in some of the worst areas for crime, whereas QMUL is in one of the safer areas out of the Uni's in London. (one Uni often criticised for the area).

Only Greenwich is safer (In London post-code). But like, you said, crime is hidden, like that in Westminster, and if you have become a victim, your most likely not to have noticed it. Be street wise, and you will get on fine, especially in Westminster due to the proactive policing like you said earlier.

You have to work out what is worse for students on the whole for crime. By far, Westminster would be the worst due to the street crime.

Reply 14

Colly

most crimes in westminster are probably tourists getting pick-pocketed/bags snatched etc.
doesnt affect students as much

Reply 15

dazmanultra

walshie

So looking at this list, we can make the presumption that universities are in the following areas for crime (highest first):

1) Kings College (KCL)

Depends what campus you're talking about I suppose. The trouble with statistics by borough in that all across London even within boroughs you get nice areas and you get rubbish areas, all pretty close to each other.

I live in South London, not too far from King's College Hall, one of KCL's hall of residences. What is quite sad is the way that when I'm out and about during September going to the shops or whatever, the freshers really do stand out by a mile and make obvious targets for would be thieves. :frown:

Reply 16

Colly

most crimes in westminster are probably tourists getting pick-pocketed/bags snatched etc.
doesnt affect students as much

It affects students more so than in house drug taking, thus the reason why I think Westminster would be the worst borough for students to reside or go to University in. The statistics isn't a methodology or opinion, its factual, even if it doesn't count for population etc.

I have reiteratedpreviously you are more likely to become a victim of crime by going to a Westminster Univerity than another (such as QM).

The only valid point, is where there maybe a town within a borough that's gorgeous and crime free. But for Westminster, UCL, KCL, SOAS are in the hot spot for crime. So that can't rule them out.

Only University harshy done by on that list, I would of thought would be Uni of East London in borough of Newham. The borough is appalling, but the university is in an alright position not too far from Canary Wharf. There is crime down Silvertown, but most of the time, its a ghost town with very little going on. So, pretty harsh.

Reply 17

Socrates

17

Islington is quite high on the list for crime, I've lived here for 19 years, I go to uni at SOAS, can't say I've experienced this "hot spot for crime". Sure there are little pockets here and there, but nothing to be massively worried about.

Reply 18

walshie

The only valid point, is where there maybe a town within a borough that's gorgeous and crime free. But for Westminster, UCL, KCL, SOAS are in the hot spot for crime. So that can't rule them out.

Walshie, UCL and SOAS are located in the Borough of Camden though, which may be third on your list, but has a pretty sizeable population, and extends all the way through Camden and into Kentish Town, hence the crime figures you gave aren't representative.

Reply 19