pic: Adam El-kolli
Peckham is considered one of the most dangerous areas in London, ranked the 8th most dangerous areas of London with 980 crimes each year per square km. Not only are the rates of criminal activity is increasing, but so is the severity of the crimes. In Peckham alone, crimes reported per month went from an average of 96 in 2022 to 140 in 2023, with most offences being violent and sexual offences. These crimes do not however, account for those that have gone unreported.
In many cases, particularly when the crime is of a violent or sexual nature, many victims and witnesses will not come forward to report a crime out of fear as a result a lot of criminal activity will go unreported. While Peckham is currently being improved, with more housing being built, as well as food courts and shopping centres being built in and around Peckham high street, giving Peckham more of a modern and affluent touch. The gentrification of Peckham does not hide the ongoing crime circulating the streets of Peckham. Many members of the Peckham community argue that Peckham can not be saved from it’s association with crime and the stigma the area carries. Two young men who wish to remain anonymous, spoke on the matter, one of the young men aged 19 said: “Peckham’s reputation has been tarnished from the get go.” The other young man aged 17 said: “if you come to Peckham your just asking to be robbed”, while these comments on Peckham are frightening, they are also a helpful insight into Peckham’s ties with criminality.
Pic: metrepoliton police
In October of this year, violent and sexual crimes were recorded as the most crimes reported in Peckham that month with Southwark being the borough with the highest rates of knife crime in London according to London councils. As well as this shocking statistic, there have been 3 reported shootings in the last year in Peckham alone. While many Peckham community members argue that Peckham is a dangerous area, one man who works in Peckham said: “Now that I work here in Peckham, it’s not as bad as it seems.” Others told us that living in Peckham is their only choice due to the current economic climate and the cost of living crisis. Almost half of 20- 25 year olds in London are being forced to either leave London or relocate to areas where the rent is much cheaper. Those areas which the rent is less expensive tend to correlate with areas which have higher crime rates like Peckham as they are not considered desirable places to live.
A security guard who moved to Peckham for work explained his views on Peckham as a place to live, he said: “It’s an unsafe place, the people here are crazy and some people, actually most people here are dangerous. It’s the most dangerous place in London.”
While some Peckham residents believe crime in Peckham “isn’t that bad” or is “normal”, Crime rates in Peckham show no sign of declining and with the cost of living crisis adding additional financial strain on workers, it’s possible others will turn to crime.
